Wembanyama and Paul disqualified for cheating in surreal moment
The Cleveland Cavaliers once again took home the NBA Skills Contest with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.
Players have grown accustomed to surprising audiences in the Skills Contest—unfortunately, in the wrong way. The most recent examples include rookies two years ago who couldn’t even land a shot in the pool, and Anthony Edwards last year, who decided to shoot with his weaker hand for laughs.
As the least traditional of the three All-Star tests, performances like these continue to diminish its reputation. However, this year at the Chase Center in San Francisco, things took an unexpected and chaotic turn that overshadowed even those prior incidents.
The competition got off to a rough start. Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul, one of the four duos, tried to outsmart the rules and were promptly disqualified by the judges. Representing the San Antonio Spurs, the two players attempted to speed through the course by breaking the competition’s rules, violating the spirit of the event. Their stunt didn’t go unnoticed, and the judges called them out for it. As punishment, the television broadcast refused to interview them.
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama said it was his idea, not Chris Paul’s, to “hack” the Skills Challenge, which led to disqualification.
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 16, 2025
“Was I booed? I don’t think I was booed. I wasn’t booed, right? Chris was.” pic.twitter.com/SeBHbKqz6y
Alongside the Spurs, three other teams participated: the Cleveland Cavaliers, represented by Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley; the Golden State Warriors, with Draymond Green and Moses Moody; and the rookies, featuring French players Zaccharie Risacher (No. 1 pick) and Alex Sarr (No. 2 pick). The Cavaliers emerged as the winners—just as they did in 2022, with Mobley repeating his victory.
The Spurs were the first team to compete and attempted to dominate early. The scavenger hunt-style course included several obstacles: a circle for introducing three balls with two dribbles, a chest pass into another circle, and three shooting marks—a three-point line, a mid-range spot, and a left-corner spot near a distracting windmill.
After making another chest pass, players had to head to the basket to score in any fashion. The shooting marks were crucial, as only three balls were used, and players could advance even after missing all shots. Wembanyama and Paul exploited this loophole by skipping the shooting attempts entirely to save time. They didn’t even try to hide their strategy, running straight through the course. However, their time was invalidated, leaving the crowd in stunned disbelief at what they had just witnessed—a historic low point for the Skills Contest.
Donovan Mitchell on Chris Paul Victor Wembanyama Skills Challenge
— Anthony (@anthonyjc92) February 16, 2025
"They play to win they were definitely cheating though" pic.twitter.com/4GSVE8SGQ5
The Warriors, playing on their home court, benefitted from the familiar setting and posted the best time in the first round with 1:10, qualifying for the next stage alongside the Cavaliers, who finished in 1:19. The rematch between these two franchises, who have faced off in four NBA Finals, was set. Cleveland finished in one minute flat, and despite Green and Moody’s best efforts, the Warriors fell short of that mark.
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