NBA Announces Crazy News for the Fans: The HORSE Competition Is On

Even though the NBA has shut down all operations, it keeps on devising methods to keep players and the community engaged.

NBA releases new competition

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA is closing a deal with ESPN to televise a H-O-R-S-E competition. They are calling it the NBA HORSE Challenge.

The H-O-R-S-E is a shot-for-shot game. It involves one player making a basket that is often a trick shot. The opponent must make the same shot. If the second player misses it, he receives a letter. When he misses five shots, enough to spell out H-O-R-S-E, he loses.

The NBA hosted such a H-O-R-S-E competition as part of the All-Star Weekend in 2009 and 2010. Unfortunately, the segment struggled to gain traction and was canceled after only two years.

H-O-R-S-E game details revealed

Arash Markazi, a sports columnist at the Los Angeles Times, posted an official list of players from the NBA, ESPN, and NBPA, who would participate in the game. According to Markazi, the list of participants include NBA and WNBA players along with legends. The Challenge begins on Sunday, April 12.

The tweet highlighted NBA Players Association President Chris Paul, rising rookie Trae Young, and WNBA alumni Tamika Catchings names.

The WNBA’s Indiana Fever legend will be joined by Chauncey Billups, Lawrence North graduate Mike Conley Jr., Zach LaVine, Chris Paul, Paul Pierce, Allie Quigley, and Trae Young in the friendly competition airing on ESPN.

The game will start directly at quarterfinals on Sunday, 7pm-9pm ET. The matchups are as follows:

• Group 1:
  • Trae Young Vs. Chauncey Billups
  • Tamika Catchings Vs. Mike Conley Jr.
• Group 2:
  • Zach LaVine Vs. Paul Pierce
  • Chris Paul Vs. Allie Quigley

The winners of the two games in either group will meet in the semifinals. Similarly, the winner from each group will advance to the championship game. The semifinals and championship game will air on ESPN on Thursday, April 16 from 9-11 pm ET.

The State Farm will donate more than $200,000 on behalf of the participants of the game. The amount will help charities focused on coronavirus response efforts. It will help build on the more than $74 million that the NBA Family has already put together as of now, to support coronavirus relief efforts through its NBA Together campaign.