One of the events in the NBA All-Star Weekend is the Rising Stars Challenge. The events used to put up NBA rookies against sophomores, but that has changed over the last 2 years. Now the game puts American rookies and sophomores against International rookies and sophomores.
The NBA recently released the participants for the American and International team, with Brandon Ingram and D'Angelo Russell included in the lineup. Rookie Brandon Ingram was the second overall pick by the L.A. Lakers in this year's draft class. He averages 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2 assists in the Lakers' 48 games. While Russell was the second overall pick in the previous year's draft and has been averaging 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the Lakers this season as per Basketball Reference.
It is the second time Russell will participate in this game, making him only the second Laker to do so, and the first for Ingram. Ingram, who started in 15 games for the Lakers expressed his feelings towards being selected in a report by the Los Angeles Times. "It's a great honor. It's something that as a kid, you reach for, one of your goals is to get in." - Brandon Ingram on his selection to the Rising Stars Challenge American Team.
As per the NBA, the rest of the American team will be made up of Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns, Pacers' Myles Turner, Suns' Devin Booker and Marquese Chriss, Bucks' Malcolm Brogdon, Hornets' Frank Kaminsky, 76ers' Jahlil Okafor and Spurs' Jonathan Simmons.
The International team will be made up of 76ers' Joel Embiid, Nuggets' Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Emmanuel Mudiay, Knicks' Kristaps Porzingis, Jazz' Dante Exum and Trey Lyles, Pelican's Buddy Hield and Thunder's Domantas Sabonis. The game will be held on the first day of the All-Star weekend, Friday Feb 17 as the International team looks to win for the second consecutive year.
