

JEFF TEAGUE TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL-STAR SKILLS CHALLENGE

Teague is first Hawk to ever participate in competition

ATLANTA -- Hawks guard Jeff Teague was selected to participate in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge at State Farm All-Star Saturday Night Feb. 16, in Houston. The Taco Bell Skills Challenge was first introduced at NBA All-Star 2003 in Atlanta and features players competing in a two-round timed "obstacle course" consisting of dribbling, passing and shooting stations. All players must observe basic NBA ball-handling rules while completing the course. State Farm All-Star Saturday Night will air live on TNT beginning at 8 p.m.

The Hawks fourth-year guard joins reigning skills challenge champion Tony Parker of San Antonio, Jrue Holiday of Philadelphia, Brandon Knight of Detroit, Damian Lillard of Portland and Jeremy Lin of Houston as participants in this year’s contest.

Teague is averaging a career-best 14.1 points on .456 shooting, 2.4 rebounds and a career-high 6.8 assists per game (12th in the NBA) in 33.3 minutes per game in 48 games (all starts). He is also shooting career bests from three-point range (.390) and the free throw line (.871; 12th in the league) and his seven double-doubles ranks eighth among all point guards in the NBA.

State Farm All-Star Saturday Night will also feature the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest; the Sears Shooting Stars; and the Sprite Slam Dunk contest. The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 17 will air live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in 215 countries and will be broadcast in 47 languages.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/NBAE/Getty Images