The lack of basketball activities have sports enthusiasts clamoring for some type of action to feed their hunger for sports activity. Well, the National Basketball Association has a short term answer with the upcoming NBA HORSE Challenge.
ESPN, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced that they are introducing the new NBA HORSE Challenge to feed their audience with some basketball activity. 10-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder, 2020 NBA All-Star Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and newly elected Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings are headlining the list of eight NBA and WNBA players and legends who will participate in the new NBA HORSE Challenge. The tournament will be shown exclusively on ESPN and can also be streamed on the ESPN App.
Starting on Sunday, April 12 at 7 p.m. ET, Paul, Young, Catchings, Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, three-time WNBA All-Star Allie Quigley of the Chicago Sky, Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. and NBA Finals MVPs Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce will match shots against each other in a single-elimination HORSE competition from their respective, isolated home courts. ESPN NBA commentator Mark Jones will be the official host of the challenge.
NBA HORSE Challenge participants will be divided into two groups of four. The winners of the first two games in each group will meet in the semifinals and then the winner from each group will move on to the championship round. The four quarterfinal games will air on Sunday. The semifinals and the championship game will be played on Thursday, April 16, beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
The rules for the challenge will start with a coin toss at the start of each game, which will determine who shoots first, with the more senior player calling heads or tails. Players must describe each shot attempt, specifying the type of score they intend to make before taking a shot, such as a bank shot or swish. Dunking is not allowed. The first player in each game to accumulate the letters “H-O-R-S-E” after failing to match five shots is automatically eliminated from the challenge.
State Farm will donate more than $200,000 on behalf of the participants to charities that are specific to coronavirus response efforts. This donation builds on the more than $74 million that has been contributed by the NBA Family to date to support coronavirus relief efforts through its NBA Together campaign.
NBA HORSE Challenge Presented by State Farm participants:
| Group 1: | Group 2: |
| Chauncey Billups NBA Legend, ESPN Analyst |
Zach LaVine Chicago Bulls |
| Tamika Catchings WNBA Legend |
Chris Paul Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Mike Conley Jr. Utah Jazz |
Paul Pierce NBA Legend, ESPN Analyst |
| Trae Young Atlanta Hawks |
Allie Quigley Chicago Sky |
ESPN NBA HORSE Challenge Presented by State Farm schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | NBA HORSE Challenge |
| Sun, Apr 12 | 7-9 p.m. | Quarterfinals Group 1: Trae Young vs. Chauncey Billups |
| Quarterfinals Group 1: Tamika Catchings vs. Mike Conley Jr. | ||
| Quarterfinals Group 2: Zach LaVine vs. Paul Pierce | ||
| Quarterfinals Group 2: Chris Paul vs. Allie Quigley | ||
| 9-11 p.m. | Quarterfinals Encore Presentations | |
| Thu, Apr 16 | 7-9 p.m. | Quarterfinals Encore Presentations |
| 9-11 p.m. | Group 1: Semifinals | |
| Group 2: Semifinals | ||
| HORSE Championship Game | ||
ESPN will televise the NBA HORSE Challenge as it continues its commitment to bring the sports community together through its #oneteam initiative.
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