All eyes on ‘Shooting Stars’

The 3-Point Shootout and the Slam Dunk contest usually draw the most attention from fans among the four events that precede the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game.

The events are held the day before the All-Star Game.

This year, the All-Star Weekend gets off the ground with the Rookie Challenge at the Toyota Center in Houston tonight (Saturday morning, Manila). The next day, the four events take center stage–the Skills Challenge, the Shooting Stars competition, the 3-Point Shootout and the Slam Dunk contest. Finally, on Sunday (Monday morning, Manila), the league’s brightest stars congregate to play the 55th annual All-Star Game in a glittering showcase of cage excellence.

Threatening to steal the thunder from the 3-Point Shootout and the Slam Dunk contest is the Shooting Stars competition where four teams–Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Antonio–battle it out for the $45,000 first prize.

Each team consists of an NBA cager, an NBA legend and a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) player. Houston is made up of Rockets star Tracy McGrady, two-time WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes and Hall of Famer Clyde (The Glide) Drexler. Phoenix is represented by Suns All-Star Shawn Marion, Mercury guard and 2004 WNBA Most Improved Player Kelly Miller and "Thunder" Dan Majerle. San Antonio will be bannered by Spurs quarterback Tony Parker, Silver Stars forward Kendra Wecker and sharpshooter Steve Kerr.

Then there is Los Angeles’ star-studded cast. Kobe Bryant, Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer Lisa Leslie comprise a formidable threesome.

The contest designates six shooting locations of increasing difficulty on the floor. Each team attempts to convert all the shots in numeric sequential order in the fastest time. A specific player rotation will be announced by each team. A shot in a spot must be made before the next player takes over in the rotation. Teams are given up to two minutes to complete the course. The team that sinks all six shots in the least amount of time is the winner.

Nobody goes home empty-handed. The runner-up receives $33,750. The third and fourth place teams pocket $16,875 each.

Los Angeles won the first Shooting Stars competition in 2004 with Johnson, Derek Fisher and Leslie in the fold. Last year, Phoenix took the plum with Majerle, Marion and Diana Taurasi.

The four events will be shown at 9 p.m. Sunday simulcast on RPN-9 and the Solar Sports channel.

The Rookie Challenge will be aired live via satellite at 10 tomorrow morning on the Solar Sports channel with a replay at 8 p.m. that night. The All-Star Game will be telecast live via satellite at 9 a.m. Monday simulcast on RPN-9 and the Solar Sports channel with a replay at 7:30 on RPN-9 that night. Another All-Star Game replay will be shown at 8 p.m. Tuesday on the Solar Sports channel.

Postscript. Here’s your chance to win exclusive 2006 NBA All-Star stuff. We’ll pick 10 winners to take home 10 items sent by the NBA for STAR readers only. To win, just answer these questions: (1) Who is this year’s East All-Star coach? (2) Who is this year’s West All-Star coach? (3) Who is the East starter not able to play in this year’s All-Star Game because of an injury? (4) Who is the East player picked by NBA commissioner David Stern to replace the injured East starter in this year’s All-Star Game? (5) Who is your favorite NBA All-Star and in 100 words or less, why is he your favorite? Write down your answers on a slip of paper. Send to "The 2006 NBA All-Star Game" "A Sporting Chance" The Philippine STAR, sports section, 13th and Roberto Oca streets, Port Area, Metro Manila. Write also your name, address, telephone number, age, occupation (if student, what year, course, school) and signature. Deadline for entries is Feb. 20.