Both Mason Plumlee and Bojan Bogdanovic will be participating in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, February 13th. This challenge involves some of the league's youngest talent. Rookies and sophomores will form two teams where foreign born players are on one side, and USA born players on the other. At the end of the game, an award is given to the most valuable player.
Rookie Bogdanovic has been averaging seven points per game, as well as three rebounds a game. Out of the 43 games he has played this season, he has been a starter on 27 of them. For second year player Plumlee, it's his second time participating in this event. The Nets big man joins Brook Lopez and Kenyon Martin as being just the third player to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge as a rookie and sophomore. He holds averages of 10 points to go along with seven boards a game. He has played 44 games and was named a starter on 27 of them.
In last year’s challenge, Plumlee put up 20 points and seven rebounds. The two teammates will be opponents for one night, as Plumlee will be on the US roster and Bogdanovic will be on world roster. Warriors assistant coach Alvin Gentry will be coaching the USA team and Hawks assistant coach Kenny Atkinson will coach the World team.
Plumlee will also be featured in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday, February 14th, for the first time in his career. The dunk contest features four of the best athletes in the league showcasing their talent in a variety of dunks. This year, the rules will go back to how they originally were a couple of seasons ago. There will five judges (to be determined) who will be ranking each dunk from a scale of six to 10. Each contestant will be granted two dunks in the first round. The two players with the highest point total will move on to the final round and be given two dunks apiece once again.
The BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge will start at 9:00 PM EST. The Sprite Slam Dunk Contest will be the final event of the State Farm All-Star Saturday night, which begins at 8:30 P.M EST. Both events will be televised by turner sports on TNT.