NBA All-Star weekend: Jayson Tatum, Tyler Herro join Damian Lillard in 3-point Contest; Slam Dunk field set

NBA All-Star weekend 2023 is quickly approaching. The Utah Jazz will play host to All-Star weekend for the first time since 1993. This year’s festivities will run from Feb. 17-19, and All-Star Game rosters were unveiled in early February. But the most anticipated part of the weekend is All-Star Saturday Night, which features classic events such as the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest.

The full fields for the events will be announced on Tuesday night.

Ahead of the big weekend, we’ll be keeping tabs on each event and who will be suiting up:

Skills Challenge

The league has often toyed with the Skills Challenge format, and it’s still unclear how it will work this year and who will participate. Last year’s edition was a team format that was ultimately a bit convoluted and took forever, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them adjust the competition again. 

3-Point Contest

The 3-Point Contest has seen a few new wrinkles in recent years; there are now two additional long-range shots worth three points each and the time limit has been increased to 70 seconds. The basic premise, though, has remained unchanged since its inception, which helps add to the mystique. 

Participants 

• Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers (reported)
• Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics (reported)
• Kevin Huerter, Sacramento Kings (reported)
• Tyler Herro, Miami Heat (reported)
• Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers (reported)
• Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers (reported)
• Anfernee Simons, Portland Trail Blazers (reported)
• Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz (reported

Slam Dunk Contest

The Slam Dunk Contest will once again be the main event on All-Star Saturday Night. There have been some classics in recent years, including Zach LaVine’s win over Aaron Gordon in 2016 and Derrick Jones Jr.’s victory over Gordon in 2020. Unfortunately, there have also been plenty of duds, including last year. Hopefully, this edition will recapture the magic. 

Participants

Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe was set to enter the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest but decided against it in February, per The Oregonian.