Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe Named to NBA's Rising Stars Game for All-Star Weekend
The game will take place in Indianapolis on Feb. 16.
The Trail Blazers will almost certainly not have any players in this year’s All-Star Game, but they will not be completely unrepresented over All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. The NBA announced on Tuesday afternoon that Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe have been selected to this year’s Rising Stars event, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 16.
Rather than being a traditional rookie-sophomore game as the NBA has done in years past, the event is now a mini-tournament of four seven-player teams featuring 21 first- and second-year NBA players and seven G League players. Former Blazers forward Detlef Schrempf will coach the G League team, with the other three teams to be drafted and coached by Jalen Rose, Tameka Catchings and another former Blazers player, Pau Gasol.
Although Henderson is a rookie, this is actually his third Rising Stars appearance, as he was a member of the G League team each of the past two seasons while he was playing for Ignite. Sharpe was not included in the event last year; he was initially scheduled to participate in the dunk contest but later withdrew.
Sharpe’s actual participation in the Rising Stars event is uncertain given that he has been out since Jan. 23 dealing with a lower abdominal strain. The Blazers are expected to provide an update on his status sometime this week after he undergoes follow-up scans, but it’s possible both he and the team decide it’s best not to participate in an All-Star event while he’s still working his way back from an injury.
Pau got paid by the Trail Blazers, never played for the Trail Blazers.
Will Sharpe get an invitation to the dunk contest?