Everything to know about the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars
The NBA’s annual showcase of premier young talent – the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars – is set for Friday, Feb. 17 (9 p.m. ET, TNT) at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City as part of NBA All-Star 2023. A player draft by honorary coaches and former All-Stars Pau Gasol, Deron Williams and Joakim Noah was held with Paolo Banchero going first overall to Team Pau.
For the consecutive season, Rising Stars will host a mini-tournament with three games, featuring four teams made up of NBA rookies, sophomores, and NBA G League Players.
THE TEAMS
The complete lineups for the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars are as follows:
Team Pau
- Paolo Banchero (Magic)
- Benedict Mathurin (Pacers)
- Jaden Ivey (Pistons)
- Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
- Jose Alvarado (Pelicans)
- Keegan Murray (Kings)
- Andrew Nembhard (Pacers)
Team Deron
- Franz Wagner (Magic)
- Jalen Green (Rockets) ^^
- Alperen Sengun (Rockets)
- Trey Murphy III (Pelicans)
- AJ Griffin (Hawks)
- Bones Hyland (Nuggets)
- Walker Kessler (Jazz)
- Ayo Dosunmu (Bulls) **
–- ^^ = injured will not play
- ** = Ayo Dosunmu will replace the injured Jalen Green
Team Joakim
- Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
- Josh Giddey (Thunder)
- Jalen Williams (Thunder)
- Jeremy Sochan (Spurs)
- Quentin Grimes (Knicks)
- Jabari Smith Jr. (Rockets)
- Jalen Duren (Pistons) ^^
- Tari Eason (Rockets) **
–- ^^ = injured will not play
- ** = Tari Eason will replace the injured Jalen Duren
Team Jason
Jason Terry, a current Utah Jazz assistant coach, former coach of the NBA G League’s Grand Rapids Gold, 2008-09 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year, and 2011 NBA champion, will be leading the team of NBA G League players. The team includes:
- Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite)
- Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite)
- Mojave King (G League Ignite)
- Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Memphis Hustle)
- Mac McClung (Delaware Blue Coats)
- Leonard Miller (G League Ignite)
- Scotty Pippen Jr. (South Bay Lakers)
THE LEGENDARY COACHES
The Jordan Rising Stars teams comprised of rookies and sophomores will be led by NBA legends serving as honorary head coaches: Pau Gasol, a six-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion; Joakim Noah, a two-time NBA All-Star and 2013-14 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year; and Deron Williams, a three-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Second Team member.
The team of NBA G League players will be led by 2008-09 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year and 2011 NBA champion Jason Terry, a current Jazz assistant coach and former head coach of the NBA G League’s Grand Rapids Gold.
The Jordan Rising Stars games will be coached by teams consisting of assistant coaches from the NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs and legends.
The Boston Celtics’ coaching staff will lead Team Giannis in the NBA All-Star Game. Team LeBron’s coaching staff has yet to be determined.
THE DRAFT
The NBA G League team has been established, but the three teams made up of NBA rookies and sophomores will be decided via the Jordan Rising Stars Draft. Gasol (Team Pau), Noah (Team Joakim), and Williams (Team Deron) will each select rosters of seven players.
Update: Complete Draft results; Banchero goes No. 1 to Team Pau
THE FORMAT
The Jordan Rising Stars’ three games will all take place at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 17, starting at 9 p.m. ET.
Each of the three games will be concluded once a Final Target Score is achieved, implying that the game will be ended by a successful basket or free throw, rather than the expiration of time.
Game 1 and Game 2, which are the two semifinal games, will be played until a Final Target Score of 40 is reached.
The tournament champion will be determined by the final game, where the winners will compete to reach a Final Target Score of 25.
- Game 1: Team A vs. Team B
- Game 2: Team C vs. Team D
- Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
THE HISTORY
The 2023 Jordan Rising Stars marks the 28th edition of the NBA’s annual showcase of young talent during NBA All-Star Weekend.
The game was first introduced in 1994 and has been held every season, except for 1999, when the All-Star Game was cancelled due to a lockout, and 2021, when the number of participants was restricted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the years, the format has undergone changes. At first, it was a competition between rookies and sophomores. Later, it became a face-off between the USA and the World. Currently, the event includes a mini-tournament with NBA G League Players teaming up with the highest-ranking first-and second-year players in the NBA.
GET TICKETS
Tickets for Jordan Rising Stars are available at NBAEvents.com and through the NBA Events App, which can be downloaded in the Apple Store or Google.
