Even if he doesn't end up being an NBA All-Star as a rookie, Mavs forward Luka Doncic is already set for a busy week in Charlotte.
The NBA announced on Tuesday that Doncic was selected to compete for the World Team in the 2019 MTN DEW ICE Rising Stars game at All-Star 2019, where Dirk Nowitzki will serve as an honorary coach for the international squad. The game will take place at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., on Friday, Feb. 15, and will air live on TNT at 8 p.m. CT.
Dennis Smith Jr. represented the Mavs in this game a year ago playing for the U.S. team.
Here's a look at the full rosters:
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Dennis Smith Jr. has apparently had a change of heart.
... about competing in this year's NBA All-Star dunk contest.
The second-year Mavericks point guard has reportedly agreed to participate in the dunk contest at All-Star weekend in Charlotte, N.C., which of course marks a homecoming of sorts for the Fayetteville native. Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania first reported the news:
Making his All-Star weekend debut will be Mavericks rookie sensation Luka Doncic, who will test his might against other ballhandlers in the skills competition, Charania reported.
Asked whether he is looking forward to the skills challenge and All-Star weekend, Doncic said, "Yeah, for sure. Obviously I can't do slam dunk. But yeah, I'm excited to go in the skills challenge and have fun."
Doncic has a track to earn a roster spot for the All-Star Game itself, ranking among the league's very best in fan voting. Thursday night, the East and West starters were announced, with Doncic missing the cut despite having the third-most fan votes this name (behind only LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the All-Star Game captains).
And then there's Dirk Nowitzki, who has been invited to compete in the 3-point competition, a source told SportsDay's Brad Townsend earlier this week. Dirk himself confirmed as much following the Mavericks' 106-101 win over Detroit on Friday night.
Is this year's All-Star weekend set to be one of the biggest in Mavericks franchise history? It sure is shaping up that way.
NBA teams and players are discouraged by the league from leaking or confirming such news because the official announcements of the dunk, skills and 3-point competitions are not scheduled to occur until Feb. 5.
"We don't have any knowledge that those things are happening," Carlisle said. "It certainly wouldn't shock any of us if they did."
The skills competition, 3-point contest and dunk contest take place Saturday, Feb. 17, starting with the skills competition at 7 p.m. on TNT.
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