2023 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge: Format and rules explained
The latest addition to the NBA All-Star weekend is the team Skills Challenge. We take a look at how it all works.
The 2023 NBA All-Star Saturday Night gets underway with the Skills Challenge, which is adopting a team, rather than individual, format.
The three teams competing will be Team Rooks (Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham and Josh Giddey), Team Cavs (Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley), and Team Antetokounmpos (Alex, Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo).
Each team will participate in a four-round competition.
KIA SKILLS CHALLENGE: FORMAT AND RULES
The Kia Skills Challenge is a three-round competition where each team will try and accumulate the most “Challenge Points”. Here are the rules as laid out by NBA.com
Round 1: Team Relay
- Teams compete one at a time.
- All players from each team participate in a timed relay.
Each player must complete the course:
- 35-foot outlet pass at a moving target from the baseline, complete the pass to move on or max three valid attempts.
- Dribble downcourt through three moving pilons.
- Short shot in the lane, max three valid attempts, move on after a make or three attempts.
- Left corner 3-point shot, max three valid attempts, move on after a make or three attempts, automated defender
- Dribble to opposite goal and make a basket (dunk, layup, jump shot, etc.).
- Next player starts when he either rebounds the previous player’s shot or receives a pass from the previous player after the made basket.
Team 1 sets the time to beat
- Clock counts up (the clock stops when the ball clears the net).
- The countdown clock for Team 2 is set to Team 1′s time.
- The countdown clock for Team 3 is set to the lesser time between Team 1 and Team 2.
- For Teams 2 and 3, a successful shot released before the clock reaches zero will be counted as a made basket.
- The team with the fastest time (lowest Team Score) wins the Team Relay (time = Team Score).
- Winning team earns 100 “Challenge Points.”
Round 1 Tiebreaker
- Teams choose one player to repeat the course, and the team with the player who has the fastest time will advance.
- If a second tie occurs, teams choose a different player to repeat the course.
Round 2: Team Passing
- Teams compete one at a time.
- Each team has 30 seconds to amass points.
- All three players participate together.
- Each team must make at least one pass attempt at each target.
- Individual players cannot make consecutive passes at the same target.
- All passes must originate from designated areas near the baseline and must be made at the target immediately in front of the designated area.
Three oversized passing targets vary in size and distance:
- 35-foot outlet pass, forward and back moving target (2 points).
- 20-foot bounce pass, side to side moving target (4 points).
- 25-foot chest pass, forward and back moving target (6 points).
The team with the most total points wins
Team Passing (e.g. highest Team Score)
- Winning team earns 100 “Challenge Points.”
Round 2 Tiebreaker
- 1st – Total number of passes made
- 2nd – Total number of chest passes made
- 3rd – Total number of outlet passes made.
Round 3: Team Shooting
- Teams compete one at a time.
- All three players participate together with one ball.
- Each team has 60 seconds to amass points while shooting from five different spots on the court.
- Each team must attempt their first shot from Spot 5.
- Each player must attempt at least one shot.
- Players must alternate shot locations.
- Teams cannot repeat the same shot consecutively.
Shots made from each shooting location have different values:
- Spot 1: Right side 10-foot shot outside the lane (1 point).
- Spot 2: Left elbow extended (2 points).
- Spot 3: Top of the key 3-pointer (3 points).
- Spot 4: Left corner 3-pointer (4 points).
- Spot 5: Right slot 30-foot deep 3-pointer (5 points).
The team with the highest Team Score wins Team Shooting.
- Winning team earns 200 “Challenge Points.”
Round 3 Tiebreaker
- The tied teams will choose one player from their respective team to shoot from Spot 5.
- Each player will attempt at least one shot.
- Any player who makes a shot will be given an additional attempt.
- If no players make their shot, all players will be given an additional attempt.
- The last player to make a shot will win the tiebreaker.
Skills Challenge Champion
After Round 3, the team that earned the most Challenge Points will be named Skills Challenge champion. In the event two teams are tied with 200 Challenge Points each after Round 3, those teams will compete in the Challenge Points Tiebreaker to determine the champion.
Challenge Points Tiebreaker
Half-Court Shot:
- Teams compete one at a time.
- All three players participate together.
- Team 1 sets the time to beat with a made shot or expiration of the clock
- Clock counts up (maximum of 1:30).
- The countdown clock for Team 2 is set to Team 1′s time.
- For Team 2, a successful shot released before the clock reaches zero will be counted as a made basket.
- The team that makes a half-court shot in the fastest time wins.
Tiebreaker
- Repeat the final round.