COVID-19 interrupted basketball fans from watching Giannis Antetokounmpo dominate the league, nor can we watch Zion Williamson fill in his role as an emerging superstar NBA player.
But don’t fret, on Sunday April 12, NBA players Chris Paul, Trae Young, Zach LaVine and Mike Conley, former NBA stars Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce, current WNBA star Allie Quigley and WNBA legend Tamika Catchings will go head-to-head in a NBA HORSE Challenge.
The four quarterfinal match-ups will air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, and the two semifinals plus the final will air Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The pairings for this Sunday’s first-ever NBA HORSE Challenge on ESPN have been revealed 🏀
-Trae Young vs. Chauncey Billups
-Tamika Catchings vs. Mike Conley Jr.
-Zach LaVine vs. Paul Pierce
-Chris Paul vs. Allie Quigley— ESPN (@espn) April 9, 2020
Paul, Young, LaVine and Conley are all active players who have performed at an All-Star level in recent years.
Seasoned point guard Chris Paul is the most accomplished among this group. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon is a ten-time All Star, he has 9 NBA All-Defensive Team selections and four assist titles.
Young is only in his second NBA season as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, but he’s definitely on verge of becoming a star with numbers like 29.6 points and 9.3 assists per game. And he was named an All-Star starter this season.
ABSOLUTELY NO DUNKING🤨😅🤣 @ZachLaVine
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) April 8, 2020
I miss hoopin…🏀❤️❄️ pic.twitter.com/hsMdYzw9CY
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) April 7, 2020
Historic career-highs (like @ZachLaVine‘s 49 with 13 triples) & so much more… during the NBA hiatus, watch a free preview of NBA League Pass >> https://t.co/OwfRijlR6D pic.twitter.com/ny4dY004NH
— NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2020
LaVine was robbed of the NBA All Star game this year. The Chi-City Bulls guard put up 25.5 points, 4 assists and nearly five boards this season.
The highly respectable Conley is in his first season with the Utah Jazz after spending the first 12 years of his NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies. However, he’s never been named an All-Star, but he’s coming off a career high average of 21 points per game.
The veteran Billups spent 17 seasons in the NBA, with the Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons. The five-time All-Star boasts one NBA championship and one NBA Finals MVP. His deadly clutch game has earned him the nickname, Mr. Big Shot.
The 42-year-old Pierce played 19 seasons in the league, 15 with the Boston Celtics, and runs with the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers. The veteran wing man boasts ten All-Star selections, one NBA championship and one NBA Finals MVP.
Catchings ranks as one of WNBA’s all-time greats with ten All-Star bids, one WNBA league MVP, and one championship. And she’s a Basketball Hall of Famer.
Quigley is a guard for the Chicago Sky who has been named an All-Star three times and the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year twice. She also won the WNBA Three-Point Shootout twice, which makes her a major threat in the competition.
Who do you think will walk away with the W?