The Shooting Stars competition is one of the newer and lesser NBA All-Star Weekend events. It took place Saturday night, February 16. Also see preview/overview, previous winners and the rules.

Team San Antonio, with Tim Duncan, David Robinson and Becky Hammon, won the 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend Shooting Stars competition Saturday night. After the team got through the regular shots, Tim Duncan quickly hit the half-court shot.

The other team in the Shooting Stars second and final round was Team Chicago, with Chris Duhon, Candice Dupree and B.J. Armstrong. They did well with the regular shots and easily could have won, but took forever to hit the half-court shot, losing it for that reason.

Team Los Angeles wasn’t too hot. And Team Phoenix had potential, but Eddie Johnson was awful.



PREVIEW: 2008 NBA SHOOTING STARS COMPETITION
Feb. 15, 2008

Team Detroit will defend its Haier Shooting Stars title against Team Chicago, Team Phoenix and Team San Antonio in this year’s competition, which will be held on NBA All-Star Saturday Night, Feb. 16, at New Orleans Arena.

The Detroit team, which captured the title last year in Las Vegas with a time of 50.5 seconds, consists of All-Star and 2004 Finals MVP Chauncey Billups, Shock forward and two-time WNBA All-Star Swin Cash, and Shock head coach and four-time NBA All-Star Bill Laimbeer. Cash and Laimbeer were key figures in the Shock capturing the 2003 and 2006 WNBA championships.

Team Chicago, last year’s runner-up, is comprised of Bulls guard and Slidell, La. native Chris Duhon, two-time WNBA All-Star and Sky forward Candice Dupree and three-time NBA champion B.J. Armstrong. Representing Phoenix, the 2005 winner, are All-Star Amaré Stoudemire, two-time WNBA All-Star and 2007 WNBA Finals MVP Cappie Pondexter and Suns great Eddie Johnson. Team San Antonio, which dominated the competition in the 2006 Shooting Stars challenge with a record-setting time of 25.1 seconds, consists of 10-time All-Star and three-time Finals MVP Tim Duncan, four-time WNBA All-Star and Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon and David Robinson, a two-time NBA champion and One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Team Los Angeles won the inaugural competition in 2004.

As with all of this year's All-Star participants, members of the Shooting Stars teams will join over 2,500 members of the NBA Family for the NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service on Friday, Feb. 15. The volunteers will participate in a variety of service projects at 10 different sites throughout New Orleans.

The Shooting Stars contest features one current NBA player, one current WNBA player and one NBA legend on each team. There are six numbered shooting locations of increasing difficulty, with each team attempting to make all shots in numeric order in the fastest time. Each team will select a specific player rotation to follow throughout the competition. Each shot must be made before the next player begins shooting in succession. Teams have up to two minutes to complete the entire shooting course and the team that completes all six shots in the least amount of time is declared the winner. In the case of a tie, a shoot-off will be used to determine the winner.


PREVIEW SHOOTING STARS WINNERS

2004: Magic Johnson (L.A. Lakers legend), Derek Fisher (L.A. Lakers), Lisa Leslie (L.A. Sparks)

2005: Dan Majerle (Phoenix Suns legend), Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury)

2006: Steve Kerr (San Antonio Spurs legend), Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs), Kendra Wecker (San Antonio Silver Stars)

2007: Bill Laimbeer (Detroit Pistons legend), Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons), Swin Cash (Detroit Shock)


NBA SHOOTING STARS COMPETITION RULES

FOUR TEAMS (NBA Player/WNBA Player/NBA Legend), two-round, timed shooting event.

GAME FORMAT:

Shooting from 6 locations of increasing difficulty, teams attempt to make all 6 shots in numeric order in the fastest time.

The two teams that hit all six shots in the fastest times will move on to the Final round.

Teams will shoot in inverse order of their First round time for the Final round.

Six numbered shooting spots will be placed on the floor to designate each shot location.

Each team must choose a specific order of shooting (Player A,B,C) and follow that order thru the event (see below).

Each shot must be made (unlimited attempts) before the next player begins shooting in succession.

For Shot #6 (near half court), Player C must make the initial attempt - then all three players will rotate (in A,B,C order) until the shot is made, which will stop the clock and give the team their official time.

A referee will be on-court to pass judgment on any violation of the rules.

INSTANT REPLAY – At discretion of the referee, instant replay may be consulted for clarification of rules compliance.

TIME LIMIT:

Each team will be given up to 2:00 minutes to complete the shooting course.

The clock will be started by the referee and will start at 0:00 and count up.

The clock will be stopped by the referee’s whistle when the team makes shot #6.

If a team has not completed all six shots as of the 2:00 mark, the horn will sound and their score will be based upon the total number of shots completed as of 2:00.

TIEBREAKERS:

In the case of a tie (two or more teams complete all shots in the same amount of time, or teams only complete the same amount of shots after 2:00), a shoot-off will be used to break the tie.

The clock will be reset (a time limit of 1:00 will be imposed) and the team that makes one shot from the “#6” in the shortest amount of time will, depending on the round, either advance to the Finals or be declared champions.

Once again each team’s three players must rotate their attempts (in any 3-player order their team decides).

If no team makes shot #6 in the designated 1:00 tiebreaker, it will be repeated shooting from shot #5.

Shot Order, Locations and Player Rotation:

Shot #1 – 10 foot BANK shot from right side angle – PLAYER A

Shot #2 – 15 foot shot from left side angle – PLAYER B

Shot #3 – NBA 3-Pt. shot from top of the arc/straight on – PLAYER C

Shot #4 – 18-Foot shot from right side baseline – PLAYER A

Shot #5 – NBA 3-Pt. shot from left side angle – PLAYER B

Shot #6 – Shot from just inside half-court/straight on – PLAYER C, PLAYER A, PLAYER B, repeat….

2007 NBA SHOOTING STARS COMPETITION

Team San Antonio will face Team Chicago, Team Detroit and Team Los Angeles in its quest for back-to-back titles in the NBA Shooting Stars competition to be held on NBA All-Star Saturday Night, Feb. 17 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The San Antonio team, which captured the title last year in Houston with a record time of 25.1 seconds, consists of All-Star Tony Parker, Silver Stars forward Kendra Wecker and Hall of Famer George Gervin.

Team Chicago is comprised of Bulls guard Ben Gordon, Sky forward Candice Dupree and seven-time All-Star Scottie Pippen.

Representing Detroit are All-Star and 2004 Finals MVP Chauncey Billups, Shock forward Swin Cash and Shock head coach and four-time NBA All-Star Bill Laimbeer, both key figures in the Shock capturing the 2003 and 2006 WNBA championships.

Team Los Angeles, the runner-up in last year’s contest, consists of Lakers forward Lamar Odom, Sparks guard and 2005 WNBA Rookie of the Year Temeka Johnson and Michael Cooper, a member of five Lakers’ Championship teams.

NBA Shooting Stars Contest Rules

The NBA Shooting Stars competition features one current NBA player, one current WNBA player and one NBA legend on each team. There are six numbered shooting locations of increasing difficulty, with each team attempting to make all shots in numeric order in the fastest time. Each team will select a specific player rotation to follow throughout the competition. Each shot must be made before the next player begins shooting in succession. Teams have up to two minutes to complete the entire shooting course and the team that completes all six shots in the least amount of time is declared the winner. In the case of a tie, a shoot-off will be used to determine the winner.

The 2007 NBA Shooting Stars event will be televised live nationally as part of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night. TNT and ESPN Radio’s national coverage will begin at 8 p.m. EST from Thomas & Mack Center. The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18, will air live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Listed below are the previous winning teams from the Haier Shooting Stars competition:

2004: Magic Johnson (L.A. Lakers legend), Derek Fischer (L.A. Lakers), Lisa Leslie (L.A. Sparks)

2005: Dan Majerle (Phoenix Suns legend), Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury)

2006: Steve Kerr (San Antonio Spurs legend), Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs), Kendra Wecker (San Antonio Silver Stars)

Return to the InsideHoops.com NBA All-Star Weekend main page.

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2006 NBA SHOOTING STARS COMPETITION

SHOOTING STARS PREVIEW

The NBA Shooting Stars event at NBA All-Star Weekend pairs a current NBA shooting star with a retired, former NBA player and a current WNBA star. The event is part of All-Star Saturday.

In the 2006 NBA Shooting Stars competition, the Phoenix Suns return to defend their title. Mercury guard Kelly Miller replaces teammate Diana Taurasi and joins Shawn Marion and Dan Majerle as they face teams from Houston, L.A. and San Antonio. The teams compete in the contest featuring six numbered shooting locations of increasing difficulty.

The 2005 NBA Shooting Stars event was won by Team Phoenix: WNBA Rookie of the Year Diana Taurasi of the Mercury, current Suns forward Shawn Marion and Phoenix legend Dan Majerle.

SHOOTING STARS RECAP | LIVE, UNEDITED NOTES

Teams have to make shots from six places on the court, with the final shot being from halfcourt. San Antonio went first. And they were amazing, finishing in just 25.1 seconds. Tony Parker made the half-courter.. Los Angeles up next. Lisa Leslie started badly, missing about five mid-range bank shots before finally making one. Magic johnson wasn't too great. Kobe Bryant did well, and nailed the half court shot. As a team, Los Angeles finished in 43.something seconds... Houston is up now. All three members did OK but not great. McGrady hit the halfcourt shot, using a wild one-handed technique. Houston finished in 47.2 seconds... Phoenix, who win it last year, is up last. Kelly Miller missed a few shots that slowed them down. It took them a long time to hit the halfcourt shot -- WNBA player Miller made it... San Antonio wins it! They shot an amazing 6-of-8. No one else was even close.

INTERVIEW WITH SHOOTING STARS WINNING TEAM

TONY PARKER, SAN ANTONIO - STEVE KERR, SAN ANTONIO - KENDRA WECKER, SAN ANTONIO

Q. First off, Steve, the obvious, what was that experience like for you, getting back on the international stage like that?

STEVE KERR: It's nerve-wracking. Even though it's just kind of a for-fun event, just something to enjoy.

We were talking about it beforehand. Kendra and I were both a little nervous, but that's the way it's supposed to be. The lights go on and you're involved in the competition and you feel the butterflies, that means you're ready. We had a lot of fun out there.

Q. Since there was no Pop out there, who did the pep talk?

TONY PARKER: Steve. Steve gave us the pep talk.

STEVE KERR: Pop gives us the same one every game anyways. Just replay, push play on the tape recorder. That fired us up.

Q. Did you know that three was going in when it left your hand?

TONY PARKER: The three or the halfcourt?

Q. The halfcourt.

TONY PARKER: Yeah, it felt good. Banged it, so it was good.

STEVE KERR: We couldn't make it in the practice. We ran through a practice, it took us over a minute, right, like over a minute. We missed probably 20 straight half-courters. I'm thinking, this is trouble. We're not going to do very well, and he makes the first one.

Q. Of course she got you guys off to the good start.

TONY PARKER: Very good start.

STEVE KERR: Two out of two, Kendra was great, she got us rolling.

Q. Were you worried about him when he missed his first?

KENDRA WECKER: No, I wasn't worried. I knew it would take him two at the most. He didn't back off from the shot like everyone did. If he missed the first one, I knew he would get the second one in.

Q. Does Chip get any credit for that halfcourt shot?

TONY PARKER: A little bit. Every shot I make he gets credit.

Q. So he actually works on that shot with you guys?

TONY PARKER: I was missing everything in practice, and this morning in practice with the West team, it was my first made today.

Q. Steve, do you now feel like a legend?

STEVE KERR: Isn't that great? You play 15 years, average 16 points a game and they call you a legend when you show up at All-Star Weekend. I won't correct it if they run it, I'll just go with it.

Q. That record is going to be pretty tough to beat, the 25?

STEVE KERR: Yeah, I think we missed two shots; I missed one and Tony missed one. So it's going to be tough to get much better.

TONY PARKER: That's the competition, the record.

Q. Just another big weekend for you, it just keeps getting better and better.

TONY PARKER: Better and better.

2006 NBA Shooting Stars Rosters

Houston Tracy McGrady (Houston Rockets) Sheryl Swoopes (Houston Comets) Clyde Drexler (Houston Rockets - retired)

Los Angeles Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks) Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers - retired)

Phoenix Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns) Kelly Miller (Phoenix Mercury) Dan Majerle (Phoenix Suns - retired)

MAIN SECTIONS Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs) Kendra Wecker (San Antonio Silver Stars) Steve Kerr (San Antonio Spurs - retired)

NBA Shooting Stars Competition History (Previous Winners)

2005 Phoenix -- Dan Majerle, Shawn Marion, Diana Taurasi
2004 Los Angeles -- Magic Johnson, Derek Fisher, Lisa Leslie

(The event began in 2004)