“USA vs. The World” in NBA Rising Stars Challenge

The NBA All-Star Weekend is not too far away and already some of the events and their participants have been announced. One of the changes made this 2015 will be to the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge. It will now feature a “USA vs. The World” theme. In previous years first and second year players are selected by celebrity coaches and compete in an exhibition game. Detroit Pistons’ Andre Drummond of “Team Hill” won last year’s MVP award.

The league’s assistant coaches will select 10 U.S. players and 10 international players for the game, with one ballot for each of the NBA’s 30 teams. Both 10-man rosters will include four guards, four frontcourt players and two players regardless of position. Each team will also feature a minimum of three first-year players and three second-year players among its 10 spots.

The head coaches for each team will be an assistant from the 2015 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs. The Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Star Game coaches will be determined by the best record in the conference through games played on Sunday, Feb. 1.

Canada’s Andrew Wiggins, the number one overall pick in 2014 will be a force for the international players. Also expected to make a splash during the game is Greece’s Giannis Antetokuonmpo (photo above), who has made huge strides in his game with the Milwaukee Bucks this season. These athletic swingmen will get some major support down low from international big men Gorgui Dieng (Senegal), Rudy Gobert (France), and Jusuf Nurkic (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

The USA team will be headlined by talented guards Victor Oladipo, Zach LaVine, Trey Burke, and Elfrid Payton.