DENVER, Feb. 11, 2016 – The NBA announced today that Denver Nugget rookie Emmanuel Mudiay has been selected to replace injured defending champion Patrick Beverly in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 13 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto during NBA All-Star 2016.

Mudiay, 19, has appeared in 40 games (38 starts) for Denver, averaging 11.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.08 steals in 30.2 minutes per game. He currently ranks first among rookies in assists, fifth in scoring, fourth in steals, second in minutes, eighth in blocks, 10th in three-point percentage and 18th in rebounds. Mudiay was selected by Denver with the 7th overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. Mudiay is also competing as a member of Team World in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night.

The Taco Bell® Skills Challenge is part of State Farm® All-Star Saturday Night, which will be exclusively televised by TNT in the United States at 7:30 p.m. ET. Sportsnet and TSN will simulcast the Taco Bell® Skills Challenge in Canada. The event also will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio.

The Taco Bell® Skills Challenge is a three-round, obstacle-course competition that tests dribbling, passing, agility and three-point-shooting skills. Four frontcourt players will join four guards in the eight-player field – the first time in the event’s 14-year history that multiple frontcourt players will compete. A head-to-head, bracket-style tournament format will be used for the second year in a row.