NBA: Magic’s Gordon headlines All-Star Slam Dunk field

NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 18: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic competes in the 2017 Verizon Slam Dunk Contest at Smoothie King Center on February 18, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images/AFP

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon headlines the field announced Thursday for the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk contest on February 17 in Los Angeles.

Gordon, the 2016 runner-up, will be taking part for the third straight year.

His challengers include first-time All-Star Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers, Larry Nance Jr. of the Los Angeles Lakers and rookie Dennis Smith Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks.

All four have had their fair share of highlight-reel dunks the first half of the season and should put on a show on the Saturday night before the All-Star Game.

The three-point contest features last year’s winner, Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets, and 2016 winner Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.

Thompson is one of four 2018 All-Stars in the field along with the Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Paul George and the Toronto Raptors’ Kyle Lowry.

The rest of the field is composed of the Suns’ Devin Booker, Heat’s Wayne Ellington, and Clippers’ Tobias Harris.

© Agence France-Presse