After making his NBA All-Star Weekend debut last season in the Rising Stars Game, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been selected to participate in this year's slam-dunk contest.
Antetokounmpo will compete against Minnesota's Zach LaVine, Orlando's Victor Oladipo and Brooklyn's Mason Plumlee.
The slam-dunk contest will be held Feb. 14 at Brooklyn's Barclays Center as part of the NBA's All-Star Saturday Night.
"I would take the challenge," Antetokounmpo said prior to the NBA officially announcing the participants. "It will be a nice experience. I'm just going to go there and have fun."
The NBA is returning to the classic format of the slam-dunk contest after last year's team event failed to take off. This year, there will be no time limit in either of the two rounds. The players will have a maximum of three attempts to complete each dunk, with each player getting two dunks in the first round. Five judges will score each dunk on a scale of 6 to 10, advancing the two dunkers with the highest combined score to the final round.
Antetokounmpo is the third Bucks player and the first since Brandon Jennings (2010-11) to be selected for the slam-dunk contest.
Since Jennings was unable to participate due to a fractured foot, Ray Allen was Milwaukee's last participant when he finished tied for fourth in 1997.
Paul Pressey was the first Bucks player to take part in the slam-dunk contest, coming in sixth place in 1987.
With his athletic ability and length, Antetokounmpo seems to be a safe bet to at least try something spectacular.
"I'll think of something," Antetokounmpo said.
In his second year, Antetokounmpo is a lock to be picked again for the Rising Stars Challenge. The NBA has again altered the format of that game, as assistant coaches will now pick 10 U.S.-born and 10 international players to square off against each other.
Each participant needs to be in his first or second NBA season with a minimum of three rookies and three sophomores needed for each side.
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