Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, Atlanta Hawks forward-center John Collins, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Hamidou Diallo and New York Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr. will showcase their aerial artistry and leaping ability in the 2019 AT&T Slam Dunk on Saturday, Feb. 16 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The 34th Slam Dunk is part of State Farm® All-Star Saturday Night, which also features the Taco Bell® Skills Challenge and the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest. All-Star Saturday Night will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States at 8 p.m. ET. NBA All-Star 2019 will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages on their televisions, computers, mobile phones and tablets.
AT&T has become the title partner of Slam Dunk as part of a new multiyear official marketing partnership with the NBA. This new agreement will tip off next week at NBA All-Star 2019, where AT&T will also be the presenting partner of NBA All-Star Practice and Media Day.
Two rookies (Bridges and Diallo) and two second-year NBA players (Collins and Smith) comprise the AT&T Slam Dunk field. Here is a closer look at the participants:
- Miles Bridges, Hornets:Competing in his home arena, the 6-7 forward is the Hornets’ first Slam Dunk participant since 2010 (Gerald Wallace). Bridges, the 12thoverall pick in NBA Draft 2018 presented by State Farm, has 12 double-digit scoring games this season. He was a consensus 2017-18 Second Team All-American in his sophomore season at Michigan State.
- John Collins, Hawks:Collins leads Atlanta in scoring (19.6 ppg) and rebounding (10.0 rpg) and ranks ninth in the NBA in field goal percentage (58.4). He earned a spot on the U.S. Team for MTN DEW ICE Rising Stars, which will be played on Friday, Feb. 15 during NBA All-Star 2019. The 6-10 forward-center was named to the 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds last season. A former Wake Forest star, Collins is Atlanta’s first Slam Dunk competitor since 2006 (Josh Smith).
- Hamidou Diallo, Thunder:Diallo, a 6-5 guard, recorded a 44.5-inch maximum vertical jump at the 2017 NBA Draft Combine powered by Under Armour, the second-highest mark in event history. The 45th overall pick in NBA Draft 2018 presented by State Farm has appeared in 43 games as a rookie with Oklahoma City. In his three starts, Diallo has averaged 8.7 points and shot 76.9 percent from the field. He is the Thunder’s first Slam Dunk participant since 2011 (Serge Ibaka).
- Dennis Smith Jr., Knicks:Smith returns to Slam Dunk after finishing third last season. The 6-3 guard, who was acquired by New York in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 31, is averaging 12.8 points and 4.4 assists per game. Last season, the Fayetteville, N.C., native averaged 15.2 points and 5.2 assists and joined Collins on the 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Smith is the Knicks’ first Slam Dunk competitor since 2013 (James White).
2019 AT&T Slam Dunk Rules
In the two-round event, participants can perform any dunk they choose. The players have a maximum of three attempts to complete each dunk in both the first round and the final round. Five judges score every dunk on a scale of 6 to 10, resulting in a high score of 50 and a low score of 30.
All four competitors get two dunks in the first round. The two players with the highest combined score for their two dunks advance to the head-to-head final round. The player with the highest combined score for his two dunks in the final round is crowned the champion. Click here for a complete explanation of the rules.
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