Chris Paul and Trae Young to Take Part in ESPN’s H.O.R.S.E. Challenge

Eight NBA and WNBA players and legends will take part in the event

Trae Young dribbles the ball while being guarded by Chris Paul. (Stacy Revere/Getty)
Trae Young dribbles the ball while being guarded by Chris Paul. (Stacy Revere/Getty)
Getty Images

On Sunday, April 12 at 7 p.m., eight NBA and WNBA players and legends will begin playing a game of H.O.R.S.E. from the comfort of their isolated home courts.

Airing on ESPN, the single-elimination competition will feature NBA All-Stars Chris Paul and Trae Young, Basketball Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings and three-time WNBA All-Star Allie Quigley. Also taking part in the NBA HORSE Challenge will be Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. and NBA Finals MVPs Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce, both retired.

The rules are as follows: “A coin toss at the start of each game will determine who shoots first, with the more senior player calling heads or tails.  Players must describe each shot attempt, specifying the type of score they intend to make before taking a shot, such as a bank shot or swish. Dunking is prohibited. The first player in each game to accumulate the letters ‘H-O-R-S-E’ after failing to match five shots is eliminated.”

ESPN commentator Mark Jones will serve as the official host of the event and State Farm will donate more than $200,000 on behalf of the participants to coronavirus relief efforts. Following the four quarterfinal games on Sunday, ESPN will air the semifinals and the championship game on Thursday, April 16.

This isn’t the first time pro players have contested a game of televised H.O.R.S.E. — the league previously experimented with the format over All-Star Weekend in both 2009 and 2010, with then-OKC Thunder star Kevin Durant winning both competitions.

The NBA proper has been shut down since March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is currently no expectation for the league to resume play anytime soon.

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