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NBA ALL-STAR SKILLS CHALLENGE – RULES, RESULTS, AND RECORDS

  • On Saturdays, in the All-Star Event almost each player has a chance to appear in the different contests and games: rookies, legends, leapers, shooters, women… so the NBA decided to create a new contest in 2003 for the playmakers.
  • The NBA All-Star Skills Challenge is a timed obstacle course that includes dribbling, passing, and shooting stations.
  • The Skills Challenge has been introduced in 2003 and the rules have changed for the contest starting 2015.

2019 Skills Challenge

2019 Winner: Jayson Tatum

  • The Skills Challenge was again played in knockout format. The field consisted of four tall and four shorter players, with both groups playing one finalist each.
  • Due to an injury, Spencer Dinwiddie (BKN) was unable to defend his 2018 title.
  • With a fantastic running 3-pointer from the mid-court line, Jayson Tatum (BOS) secured his victory over Trae Young (ATL) in the final round of the Skills Challenge.

Participants

  • Mike Conley, MEM
  • Luka Doncic, DAL
  • De’Aaron Fox, SAC
  • Nikola Jokic, DEN
  • Kyle Kuzma, LAL
  • Jayson Tatum, BOS
  • Nikola Vucevic, ORL
  • Trae Young, ATL
Round 1 Semifinals Final
Jokic beats Vucevic Tatum beats Jokic Tatum beats Young
Tatum beats Conley Young beats Doncic
Young beats Fox
Doncic beats Kuzma

2018 Skills Challenge

2018: Spencer Dinwiddie Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

  • Third time lucky for the GUARDS. Thanks to Spencer Dinwiddie accuracy, finally they defeated the BIGS at the NBA All-Star Skills Challenge.
  • Injured Kristaps Porzingis couldn’t defend his 2017 title.
Players 1st Round Semifinal Final
Spencer Dinwiddie Dinwiddie Dinwiddie Dinwiddie
Buddy Hield
Lou Williams Murray
Jamal Murray
*Andre Drummond Markkanen Markkanen
Lauri Markkanen
Joel Embiid Embiid
Al Horford

* Andre Drummond substituted Kristaps Porzingis (left knee injury)
* Buddy Hield substituted Donovan Mitchell (selected for the Slam Dunk Contest)

2017 Skills Challenge

2017: Kristaps Porzingis Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

  • Second edition of the battle of the BIGS against the GUARDS at the NBA All-Star Skills Challenge, second time the BIGS win.
  • Kristaps Porzingis won the contest in his first appearance. After beating Jokic in semifinal with a very exciting three-pointer, he defeated Gordon Hayward the same way with a photo-finish ending.
Players 1st Round Semifinal Final
Gordon Hayward Hayward Hayward Porzingis
John Wall
Isaiah Thomas Thomas
Devin Booker
Anthony Davis Jokic Porzingis
Nikola Jokic *
DeMarcus Cousins Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis

* Nikola Jokic substituted Joel Embiid (right knee injury)

2016 Skills Challenge

2016: Karl-Anthony Towns Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

  • Four point guards and four versatile big men, the first time in the history of the Skills Challenge that multiple non-guards competed.
  • Towns is by far the taller player to win the contest. Isaiah Thomas and him really wanted to win the contest. They both made the chest pass at the first attempt and after missing a few three-pointers, Karl Anthony Towns won the ‘photo-finish’ ending.
Players 1st Round Semifinal Final
CJ McCollum McCollum Thomas Towns
Jordan Clarkson
Isaiah Thomas Thomas
Emmanuel Mudiay *
Draymond Green Towns Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns
DeMarcus Cousins Cousins
Anthony Davis

* Mudiay replaces last year winner Patrick Beverley.

2015 Skills Challenge

2015: Patrick Beverley Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

  • Beverley took the contest by surprise. He arrived as a substitute for John Wall, beat Isaiah Thomas with a last second layup, and in the last 2 rounds after some troubles with the passing station made a 3 pointer to defeat Jeff Teague and Brandon Knight.
  • Click below on player each round winners names to see the videos 
Players 1st Round Semifinal Final
Isaiah Thomas Beverley Beverley Beverley
Patrick Beverley*
Jeff Teague Teague
Elfrid Payton*
Trey Burke Knight Knight
Brandon Knight
Kyle Lowry Lowry
Dennis Schroeder*

*Patrick Beverley, Elfrid Payton and Dennis Schroeder substituted respectively John Wall, Michael Carter-Williams and Jimmy Butler.

2014-2003 Skills Challenge (old format)

2014: Damian Lillard & Trey Burke Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

  • Damian Lillard won his second consecutive title (third player to do it after Steve Nash and Dwyane Wade) in a different competition format. Players competed in pairs, completing the course both players. Passing stations were shortened from three passes to a single chest pass.
  • There were four players from East conference and four more from West conference. The pairs with the highest score from each conference after the first round competed on the final.
Players 1st Round Final
Trey Burke 40.6 sec. 45.2 sec.
Damian Lillard
Michael Carter-Williams 43.3 sec. 45.3 sec.
Victor Oladipo
Giannis Antetokounmpo 45.0 sec.
DeMar DeRozan
Goran Dragic 42.3 sec.
Reggie Jackson

2013: Damian Lillard  Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

  • Blazers rookie Damian Lillard got a big win, becoming the first player with 2 marks under 30 seconds in the same contest.
  • The players with the highest score from each conference after the first round will compete head-to-head on the final. Tony Parker lost his chances missing all the shot from the top of the key, and there were some laughs when Jeff Teague missed a layup.
Players 1st Round Final
Damian Lillard 28.8 sec. 29.8 sec.
Jrue Holiday 29.3 sec. 35.6 sec.
Brandon Knight 32.2 sec.
Jeremy Lin 35.8 sec.
Tony Parker 48.7 sec.
Jeff Teague 49.4 sec.

2012: Tony Parker

  • Tony Parker needed 3 attempts to win this contest. That was the first time two players had to make a tiebreaker round to advance to the final.
  • Also, it was the first contest with 3 players with less than 30 seconds scores, all of them in the first round.
Players 1st Round Final
Tony Parker 29.2 sec. 32.8 sec.
Rajon Rondo * 32.8 sec. 34.6 sec.
Deron Williams 28.3 sec. 41.4 sec.
John Wall * 32.8 sec.
Russell Westbrook 33.8 sec.
Kyrie Irving 42.2 sec.

* Tie-breaker: Rajon Rondo 27.5 seconds and John Wall 45.4 seconds.

2011: Stephen Curry  Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

Players 1st Round Final
Stephen Curry 34.1 sec. 28.2 sec.
Russell Westbrook 30.0 sec. 44.2 sec.
Derrick Rose 35.7 sec.
John Wall 39.3 sec.
Chris Paul 42.7 sec.

2010: Steve Nash

Players 1st Round Final
Steve Nash 35,0 sec. 29,9 sec.
Deron Williams 34,1 sec. 37,9 sec.
Brandon Jennings 35,7 sec.
Russell Westbrook 44,1 sec.
Derrick Rose Injured

2009: Derrick Rose

Players 1st Round Final
Derrick Rose 33,3 sec. 35,3 sec.
Devin Harris 36,6 sec. 39,7 sec.
Mo Williams 37,5 sec.
Tony Parker 50,8 sec.

2008: Deron Williams

Players 1st Round Final
Deron Williams 31,2 sec. 25,5 sec.
Chris Paul 29,9 sec. 31,2 sec.
Jason Kidd 39,7 sec.
Dwyane Wade 53,9 sec.

2007: Dwyane Wade

Players 1st Round Final
Dwyane Wade 31.3 sec. 26.4 sec.
Kobe Bryant 29.8 sec. 45.8 sec.
Lebron James 35.4 sec.
Chris Paul 39.6 sec.
Steve Nash Injured

2006: Dwyane Wade

Results 1st Round Final
Dwyane Wade 39.0 sec. 26.1 sec.
LeBron James 40.5 sec. 33.7 sec.
Chris Paul 42.6 sec.
Steve Nash 52.8 sec.

2005: Steve Nash

Players 1st Round Final
Steve Nash 31.4 sec. 25.8 sec.
Earl Boykins 32.6 sec. 37.6 sec.
Luke Ridnour 35.4 sec.
Gilbert Arenas 51.7 sec.

2004: Baron Davis

Players 1st Round Final
Baron Davis 28.7 sec. 31.6 sec.
Derek Fisher 31.6 sec. 37.6 sec.
Earl Boykins 34.9 sec.
Stephon Marbury 36.4 sec.

2003: Jason Kidd

  • 4 of the best point guards of the NBA were ready to inaugurate this contest and get the title of most complete point guard.
  • In the first round, each one of the 4 players improved the best time, arriving to the final two Oakland players: Gary Payton and Jason Kidd, with the best time for Payton.
  • In the final, Kidd almost repeated his semifinals time and it seemed that Payton would be the winner, but the Sonics player needed 5 second more than Kidd to complete all the stations.
Players 1st Round Final
Gary Payton 31.3 sec. 35.1 sec.
Jason Kidd 35.3 sec. 40.3 sec.
Stephon Marbury 41.9 sec.
Tony Parker 45.5 sec.

Skills Challenge Rankings

  • In the new format, which was introduced with the 2015 edition, there is no longer a timekeeper and players compete in a head-to-head against each other.
  • The below rankings relate to the NBA Skills Challenge contests from 2003-2014.

Fastest Players

Players Round Year Time
Deron Williams Final 2008 25,5 sec.
Dwyane Wade Final 2006 26.1 sec.
Dwyane Wade Final 2007 26.4 sec.
Rajon Rondo 1st Round 2012 27.5 sec.
Stephen Curry Final 2011 28.2 sec.
Deron Williams 1st Round 2012 28.3 sec.
Baron Davis 1st Round 2004 28.7 sec.
Damian Lillard 1st Round 2013 28.8 sec.
Tony Parker 1st Round 2012 29.2 sec.
Jrue Holiday 1st Round 2013 29.3 sec.
Kobe Bryant 1st Round 2007 29.8 sec.
Damian Lillard Final 2013 29.8 sec.
Chris Paul 1st Round 2008 29.9 sec.
Steve Nash Final 2010 29.9 sec.

Worst Times

Players Round Year Time
Dwyane Wade 1st Round 2008 53.9 sec.
Steve Nash 1st Round 2006 52.8 sec.
Gilbert Arenas 1st Round 2005 51.7 sec.
Tony Parker 1st Round 2009 50.8 sec.

Skills Challenge Rules

Skills Challenge rules since 2015
  • The contest had a format change in 2015. The competition now consists in a bracket where two players will compete face to face each time without timekeeper.
  • There is also a big change on the different challenges of the contest. After the dribbling, pass and layup, each player has to make another layup on the opposite rim and come back to make a three shot to finish the lap.

Skills Challenge rules 2003-2014

1. First of all a layup.

2. Easy zigzag dribbling.

3 and 4. Put the ball in a basket making a ‘normal’ pass and a bounce pass.

5. Score from the top of the key

6. Another pass like station 3.

7. Zigzag dribbling.

8. Another layup to finish.