MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS, AND HEADLINE SELECTIONS FOR 2014 BBVA COMPASS ROSTER POOL

- TNT to Televise BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge Thursday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. ET -

NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2014 – The 76ers’ Michael Carter-Williams, the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis and the ’ Damian Lillard headline the list of 18 players selected for the 2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge to be played Friday, Feb. 14, in New Orleans during NBA All-Star 2014.

Carter-Williams, the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in October/November, leads all first year players in scoring (17.4 ppg), assists (6.7 apg), rebounding (5.6 apg) and steals (2.41 spg). Davis, the league leader in blocks (3.27 bpg), is averaging a double-double with 20.4 points and 10.4 rebounds. Lillard, the 2012- 13 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year has the Trail Blazers near the top of the Western Conference standings thanks to averages of 20.6 points and 5.6 assists.

The BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge -- televised live nationally on TNT at 9 p.m. ET and broadcast live on ESPN Radio, with live audio also available on NBA.com in multiple languages -- features two teams each consisting of nine rookies and sophomores mixed together, drafted from a pool selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches.

Joining Davis and Lillard among sophomores selected to participate are the ’ , the ’ , the ’ , the Rockets’ , the ’ , the Raptors’ Jonas Valanciunas and the Cavaliers’ .

Carter-Williams is joined in the player pool by fellow rookies of the , the Hawks’ Pero Antic, the Bucks’ , the ’s , the Knicks’ Tim Hardaway, Jr., the ’s , the Boston Celtics’ , and the Nets’ .

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PAGE TWO 2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge

This marks the third straight year rookies and sophomores will be mixed together on teams. The BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge Draft is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 6, televised exclusively on TNT at 7 p.m. ET. General Managers for the teams will be announced at a later date. Last year in Houston, Nuggets forward scored 40 points (18-of-22 field goals) and added 10 rebounds en route to MVP honors as he led his team to a 163-135 win.

Following the announcement of each team on Feb. 6, fans will be able to vote online from both their computer and mobile device for the starters of each team. The starting lineups will be determined by the players garnering the top votes for their respective positions, with two backcourt and three frontcourt spots for each team. The announcement of the starting lineup will be made in broadcast and in-arena on the night of the game.

The head coaches for both teams will be the lead assistant coaches from the 2014 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs. The East and West coaching staffs are determined by the best record in each conference through games played Feb. 2. and his staff have secured the honors in the East, while Scott Brooks and his Oklahoma City Thunder staff earned the honors in the West. The and Spurs staffs, by virtue of having coached at the 2013 NBA All-Star game, are not eligible to coach this year’s game.

NBA All-Star 2014 in New Orleans will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 12 th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 30 th year of All-Star coverage. All-Star Saturday Night will feature Sears Shooting Stars, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Foot Locker Three- Contest, and Sprite Slam Dunk. Other events at NBA All-Star 2014 will include the Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, and NBA All-Star Jam Session. The 2014 game will mark the second NBA All- Star celebration in New Orleans. The city also hosted the event in 2008.

This year’s BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge will feature a three-phase sweepstakes for fans at www.nba.com/BBVACompassRisingStarsSweeps. During the first phase, currently underway, fans can vote for their favorite rookie through Feb. 5. In the second phase, which will begin after the game's team rosters are announced on Feb. 6, fans can vote for the players they want on each starting line-up. The final phase of the sweepstakes will be during the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Feb. 14, when fans can vote for the game’s MVP. During each of the first two stages of the sweepstakes, one voting fan will be chosen at random to receive a trip to one game of the 2014 NBA Playoffs. During the final stage, one voting fan will be randomly selected for a trip to one game of the 2014 NBA Finals. Three trips in total will be awarded.

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PAGE THREE 2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge

Below is the roster for the 2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge:

2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge Player Pool Prior to NBA/ Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Home Country Exp Steven Adams Oklahoma City C 7-0 255 Pittsburgh/New Zealand R Pero Antic Atlanta C 6-11 260 Olympiacos/Macedonia R Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee G/F 6-9 205 Filathlitkos/ R Harrison Barnes Golden State F 6-8 210 /USA 1 Bradley Beal Washington G 6-5 207 Florida/USA 1 Trey Burke Utah G 6-1 190 Michigan/USA R Michael Carter-Williams Philadelphia G 6-6 185 Syracuse/USA R Anthony Davis New Orleans F/C 6-10 220 Kentucky/USA 1 Andre Drummond Detroit C 6-10 270 Connecticut/USA 1 Tim Hardaway, Jr. New York G 6-6 205 Michigan/USA R Terrence Jones Houston F 6-9 252 Kentucky/USA 1 Damian Lillard Portland G 6-3 195 Weber State/USA 1 Victor Oladipo Orlando G 6-4 215 Indiana/USA R Kelly Olynyk Boston F/C 7-0 238 Gonzaga/Canada R Mason Plumlee Brooklyn F/C 6-11 235 Duke/USA R Jared Sullinger Boston F/C 6-9 260 State/USA 1 Jonas Valanciunas Toronto C 6-11 231 Lietuvos Rytas/Lithuania 1 Dion Waiters Cleveland G 6-4 225 Syracuse/USA 1

PREVIOUS BBVA COMPASS RISING STARS CHALLENGE RESULTS 1994 - Phenoms 74, Sensations 68 1995 - White 83, Green 79 (OT) 1996 - East 94, West 92 1997 - East 96, West 91 1998 - East 85, West 80 2000 - Rookies 92, Sophomores 81 (OT) 2001 - Sophomores 121, Rookies 113 2002 - Rookies 103, Sophomores 97 2003 - Sophomores 132, Rookies 112 2004 - Sophomores 142, Rookies 118 2005 - Sophomores 133, Rookies 106 2006 - Sophomores 106, Rookies 96 2007 - Sophomores 155, Rookies 114 2008 - Sophomores 136, Rookies 109 2009 - Sophomores 122, Rookies 116 2010 - Rookies 140, Sophomores 128 2011 - Rookies 148, Sophomores 140 2012 - Team Chuck 146, Team Shaq 133 2013 - Team Chuck 163, Team Shaq 135

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