The NBA is looking to spruce up their All-Star weekend and they are are hoping a Rising Stars Challenge will do just that. The first-ever event will take place in a few weeks and the rosters were selected by TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neil. The two former players had their pick of any nine rookies or sophomores currently playing in the league.
For those of you with ties to Arizona basketball, you will recognize two players immediately. The first is Markieff Morris, who is currently coming off the bench as a rookie with the Phoenix Suns. The other is Derrick Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who was the No. 2 overall pick last summer after a stellar tenure with the Arizona Wildcats.
Here are the complete rosters for both teams:
Team Chuck: John Wall, Kyrie Irving, DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George, Derrick Williams, Marshon Brooks, Gordon Hayward, Tiago Splitter, Kawhi Leonard, Evan Turner.
Team Shaq: Blake Griffin, Jeremy Lin, Ricky Rubio, Greg Monroe, Markieff Morris, Kemba Walker, Landry Fields, Norris Cole, Brandon Knight, Tristian Thompson.
First glance gives the impression that Team Shaq has more talent, but, hey, it's all in good fun. A big congratulations to both players representing the state of Arizona.