NBA All-Star Game 2017: Joel Embiid To Participate In Skills Challenge

The Rising Stars Challenge won’t be the only event to feature Joel Embiid during the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend. The Sixers’ star center will also participate in the Skills Competition, according to an official announcement from the league.

“The Taco Bell Skills Competition has been reworked to feature guards against big men, pitting them in a test of their speed, ball-handling and shooting. Last year, Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns won in the finals against Boston’s Isaiah Thomas, sparking a wild celebration among the competing big men. While Thomas will return this season, several intriguing big men will make their debuts, including the tallest player in the NBA, 7-foot-3 Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis, and Philadelphia’s multi-talented rookie Joel Embiid.”

“Taco Bell Skills Challenge field: Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Gordon Hayward, Isaiah Thomas, John Wall, Devin Booker, Kristaps Porzingis, Joel Embiid”

Embiid appearing in two events during All-Star Weekend is cool and everything, but it doesn’t make up for the fact he was wrongly snubbed for the actual All-Star Game itself. Still, it’d be great to see Embiid beat everyone.

The Skills Challenge will take place at 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, Feb. 18.

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In other Embiid news, the 22-year-old rookie was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for January. It’s the third month in a row Embiid took home the award.

He’s pretty good.