Spurs Parker to play in the skills competition All-Star weekend

Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs will defend his Taco Bell® Skills Challenge title against a field consisting of Jrue Holiday of the Philadelphia 76ers, Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, Jeremy Lin of the Houston Rockets, and Jeff Teague of the Atlanta Hawks. The 2013 Taco Bell® Skills Challenge will take place on Feb. 16, at Toyota Center in Houston as part of State Farm All-Star Saturday Night.

Parker will attempt to join the Los Angeles Lakers’ Steve Nash (2005 and 2010) and the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade (2006 and 2007) as the only two-time winners in Taco Bell® Skills Challenge history. This year’s Taco Bell® Skills Challenge features an expanded six-player field for the second year in a row. There were five contestants in 2011 and four in 2010.

Three players representing the Western Conference and three players representing the Eastern Conference will compete in the two-round competition. The two competitors with the fastest times from their respective conferences in the Team Round advance to the Championship Round. (Complete rules for the 2013 Taco Bell® Skills Challenge and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night attached).

The Taco Bell Skills Challenge was introduced at NBA All-Star 2003 in Atlanta and features six players competing in a two-round timed “obstacle course” consisting of dribbling, passing and shooting stations. All players must observe basic NBA ball-handling rules while completing the course.

State Farm All-Star Saturday Night will also feature the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest; the Sears Shooting Stars; and the Sprite Slam Dunk contest. The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 17, will air live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in 215 countries and will be broadcast in 47 languages.

Below are the participants for the 2013 Taco Bell Skills Challenge:

EASTERN CONFERENCE 2013 TACO BELL SKILLS CHALLENGE COMPETITORS

Participant, Team Pos. Ht. Wt.
Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers G 6-4 180
Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks G 6-2 181
Brandon Knight, Detroit Pistons G 6-3 190

WESTERN CONFERENCE 2013 TACO BELL SKILLS CHALLENGE COMPETITORS

Participant, Team Pos. Ht. Wt.
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers G 6-3 195
Jeremy Lin, Houston Rockets G 6-3 200
Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs G 6-2 185