Curry to defend title in Taco Bell Skills Challenge
By Official Release
Posted Feb 20 2012 2:26PM
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors will defend his Taco
Bell Skills Challenge title against a field consisting of Kyrie Irving
of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs, John
Wall of the Washington Wizards, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City
Thunder, and Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets. The 2012 Taco Bell
Skills Challenge will take place on Feb. 25, at Amway Center in Orlando.
Curry will attempt to join the Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash (2005 and
2010) and the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (2006 and 2007) as the only
two-time winners in Taco Bell Skills Challenge history. This year's Taco
Bell Skills Challenge will feature an expanded field from five to six
participants.
Curry, who leads the Warriors in assists with 6.5 per game and
averages 17.2 points and 1.8 steals, won last year's Taco Bell Skills
Challenge with a final-round time of 28.2 seconds to beat Westbrook.
Irving, the overall top selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, who also is
participating in the BBVA Rising Star Challenge, leads rookies in
scoring (18.3 ppg) and ranks second in assists (4.8 apg). Parker, a 2012
NBA All-Star, paces the Spurs in both scoring (19.4 ppg) and assists
(7.8 apg). Wall, the No. 1 selection in the 2010 NBA Draft, averages a
team-high 7.5 assists to go along with 16.9 points. Westbrook, the 2011
Taco Bell Skills Challenge runner-up and a 2012 NBA All-Star, ranks
fifth in the league in scoring (23.2 ppg) and seventh in steals (1.9
spg), while adding 5.5 apg. Williams, the current record holder in the
event at 25.5 seconds which he set in 2008 in New Orleans, is a 2012 NBA
All-Star, ranks sixth in assists (8.3 apg) and eighth in scoring (21.7
ppg).
This is the third year Taco Bell has offered the Graduate To Go
experience for teens at the Taco Bell Skills Challenge. In partnership
with NBA Cares and the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, each Taco Bell
Skills Challenge player will be paired with an All-Star teen from an
Orlando area Boys & Girls Club who has shown outstanding leadership
and determination to stay in school despite personal obstacles. All
participating teens will receive the Graduate to Go experience of a
lifetime: a behind-the-scenes career tour of NBA All-Star; an
opportunity to meet with NBA players; the chance to be on the court
during the Taco Bell Skills Challenge to cheer on their NBA player; and
an educational scholarship. At the conclusion of this event, $55,000 in
educational scholarships will be awarded to the participating All-Star
teens. The teen paired with the winning Taco Bell Skills Challenge
player will receive a $25,000 educational scholarship.
The Taco Bell Skills Challenge was introduced at NBA All-Star 2003
in Atlanta and features players competing in a two-round timed "obstacle
course" consisting of dribbling, passing and shooting stations. All
players must observe basic NBA ball-handling rules while completing the
course. The three players with the fastest times from the first round
advance to the finals with the order of competition determined by
inverse order of the first round times. At the discretion of the
referee, television instant replay may be consulted for clarification of
rules compliance.
The Taco Bell Skills Challenge will be televised live nationally as
part of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm, which
will also feature the Haier Shooting Stars, Foot Locker Three-Point
Contest and Sprite Slam Dunk. TNT and ESPN Radio's national coverage
will begin at 7 p.m. ET from Amway Center in Orlando. The 61st NBA
All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 26, will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio,
and in more than 200 countries in more than 40 languages.
Taco Bell Skills Challenge |
2012 participants |
Participant |
Team |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Stephen Curry |
Golden State |
G |
6-3 |
185 |
Kyrie Irving |
Cleveland |
G |
6-3 |
191 |
Tony Parker |
San Antonio |
G |
6-2 |
185 |
John Wall |
Washington |
G |
6-4 |
195 |
Russell Westbrook |
Oklahoma City |
G |
6-3 |
187 |
Deron Williams |
New Jersey |
G |
6-3 |
209 |
|
Past winners
2003 -- Jason Kidd, New Jersey
2004 -- Baron Davis, New Orleans
2005 -- Steve Nash, Phoenix
2006 -- Dwyane Wade, Miami
2007 -- Dwyane Wade, Miami
2008 -- Deron Williams, Utah
2009 -- Derrick Rose, Chicago
2010 -- Steve Nash, Phoenix
2011 -- Stephen Curry, Golden State
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