How much money does the NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest winner get?
With the prize money offered by the NBA over the All Star Weekend favoring the All Star game winners, we look at how the 3-point event stacks up
There is no doubt that one of the biggest crowd draws during All Star weekend is the ancillary events, with the 3-point contests a firm favorite. Big men driving inside is all good, but taking a long range shot that finds nothing but net is real skill.
This year, Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield of the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro, Kevin Huerter of the Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard, Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz, Julius Randle of the New York Knicks, and the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum will all be competing to be crowned 2023 Starry 3-Point champion in Salt Lake City. Portland Trail Blazers’ Anfernee Simons was originally in the mix before picking up an injury.
The prize money for the event is miserly by comparison with other events, and unlike the Slam Dunk Contest, not all competing players earn a prize. The winner will pocket $50,000, while second place gets $35,000, third place gets $25,000 and the next three finishers get $10,000. No other allotments are listed, meaning that the seventh- and eighth-place contestants in 2023 will walk away with nothing.
With the “pay gap” formula used by the NBA in the All Star game designed to increase competitiveness, perhaps the same concept should be rolled out to the other events. It would definitely be more of an incentive to have the truly big names get involved.