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John Collins, Trae Young Shine During All-Star Weekend Events

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Young Shows Off His Skills at NBA All-Star Saturday Night

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Young, Collins Put On A Show In Team USA Win

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Heading Into 2019 Skills Challenge, Trae Young Already Terrific Passer

The Atlanta Hawks have a long and unmatched history in the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest. John Collins hopes to add to that legend when he competes in the 2019 AT&amp;T Slam Dunk on Saturday, Feb. 16 in Charlotte.

Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb and Josh Smith combined to win four dunk contests while representing the Hawks. Wilkins won twice: in 1985 and 1990. 

"It's in the Hawks' DNA to win one," Collins said, "so I want to be a part of the Hawks' DNA and the Hawks' lineage of guys who have won a Slam Dunk Championship."

Collins will compete against Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Hamidou Diallo and New York Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr. In the two-round event, each player gets two dunks in the first round, scored on a scale from 30 to 50. The two players with the highest two-dunk combined score advance to the final round. In the finals, both players get the chance to complete two more dunks, and the player with the higher combined scored from the last two dunks wins the event. 

Head coach Lloyd Pierce is happy that Collins is about to get recognized on a national stage at All-Star Weekend.

"I think it's great," Pierce said. "John is a guy who was the 19th pick. He is in that middle ground. There's no hype for the 19th pick. If there's one guy that deserves a little hype and a little recognition, it's John Collins."

Though the Hawks have had a rich history in the event, Collins is the first Hawk to compete in it since Smith did in 2006. In addition to the former Hawks winners, Collins also has a teammate to lean on for experience: Vince Carter. Carter topped Tracy McGrady and Steve Francis in 2000 in one of the event's most competitive fields. 

"There are so many (former Hawks) and then we've got Vince, so there a lot of guys who I could potentially do odes or tributes to," Collins said. "It's a little bit of a ways out, but not too far, so I'll make a decision very soon." 

Pierce hinted that Carter has already been helping Collins prep for the event. 

"My only concern is that he jumps too high," Pierce said with a laugh. "Vince has been educating and been helping him already. John is doing stuff that is so basic to him but bizarre to us, and there's no adrenaline right now. When you know when millions of people are watching and it's a packed house, that's going to be the interesting part. How high is this kid going to jump when he has got adrenaline and he's amped up for it?"

"I honestly felt like I had more of a resume to get in last year than I did this year," Collins said. "I definitely accepted the invitation and I'm excited about the competition."

At the same time, Collins wants to live up the Hawks' long history in the event.

"I don't want to come back to Nique empty-handed," he quipped.

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John Collins Hoping To Continue Hawks Legacy In Dunk Contest

NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2019 – First-time NBA All-Stars Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Vučević of the Orlando Magic and reigning Kia NBA Rookies of the Month Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks will display their vast array of talents in the 2019 Taco Bell® Skills Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 16 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The 17th Taco Bell® Skills Challenge is part of State Farm® All-Star Saturday Night, which also features the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest and AT&amp;T Slam Dunk.  All-Star Saturday Night will air on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States at 8 p.m. ET.  NBA All-Star 2019 will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages on their televisions, computers, mobile phones and tablets.

The eight-player field for the Taco Bell® Skills Challenge also features Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies, De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings, Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.  Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets is unable to defend his 2018 title due to injury.  

Jokić and Vučević will play in the 2019 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. ET.  Dončić, Fox, Kuzma, Tatum and Young will play in the 2019 MTN DEW ICE Rising Stars on Friday, Feb. 15 at 9 p.m. ET.  Both games will be held at Spectrum Center and broadcast by TNT and ESPN Radio.  

The Taco Bell® Skills Challenge is a three-round, obstacle-course competition that tests dribbling, passing, agility and three-point-shooting skills.  The event showcases a head-to-head, bracket-style tournament format.  First-round matchups will be determined at a later date.

Here is a closer look at the 2019 Taco Bell® Skills Challenge participants:

• Mike Conley, Grizzlies: Conley (20.3 ppg, 6.3 apg) is averaging at least 20.0 points and 6.0 assists for the second time in the last three seasons.  He is a two-time winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award.

• Luka Dončić, Mavericks: The Slovenian guard-forward (20.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 5.4 apg) has won all three Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards this season.  The only rookie to reach Dončić’s current averages in points, rebounds and assists for a full season is Oscar Robertson in 1960-61.

• De’Aaron Fox, Kings: One of the NBA’s fastest players, Fox is averaging 17.5 points and a team-high 7.2 assists (ninth in the NBA) – up from 11.6 points and 4.4 assists as a rookie last season.  He has already made more three-pointers this season (56) than he did in his entire first season (47).  

• Nikola Jokić, Nuggets: The 7-foot center from Serbia leads Denver with averages of 20.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 7.7 assists (sixth in the NBA).  He ranks second in the NBA in triple-doubles with nine. 

• Kyle Kuzma, Lakers: Kuzma (18.8 ppg) is the third-leading scorer among second-year NBA players and paces the Lakers in three-pointers made with 91.  He was a 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection.      

• Jayson Tatum, Celtics: Tatum is Boston’s No. 2 scorer (16.1 ppg) and rebounder (6.2 rpg).  The 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection has shot 40.4 percent from three-point range over two seasons.   

• Nikola Vučević, Magic: A first-time All-Star in his eighth season, Vučević is averaging career highs of 20.7 points, 12.0 rebounds (10thin the NBA) and 3.8 assists.  The 7-foot Montenegrin center is shooting a career-high 37.8 percent from three-point range.

• Trae Young, Hawks: The Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November and January leads all first-year NBA players in assists (7.4 apg) and ranks second in scoring (16.8 ppg).  He is averaging 24.0 points and 8.5 assists in his last six games.

Two players compete simultaneously on identical courses and the fastest finisher reaches the next round.  In the first round, the eight players are paired to participate in four head-to-head competitions.  The four winners advance to the second round, where two more head-to-head showdowns determine the two finalists.  Click here for a complete explanation of the rules.

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Atlanta’s Reigning Rookie of the Month Trae Young to Join Nikola Jokic, Nikola Vucevic and Luka Doncic in 2019 Taco Bell Skills Challenge

NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2019 – Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, Atlanta Hawks forward-center John Collins, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Hamidou Diallo and New York Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr. will showcase their aerial artistry and leaping ability in the 2019 AT&amp;T Slam Dunk on Saturday, Feb. 16 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The 34th Slam Dunk is part of State Farm® All-Star Saturday Night, which also features the Taco Bell® Skills Challenge and the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest.  All-Star Saturday Night will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States at 8 p.m. ET.  NBA All-Star 2019 will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages on their televisions, computers, mobile phones and tablets.

AT&amp;T has become the title partner of Slam Dunk as part of a new multiyear official marketing partnership with the NBA.  This new agreement will tip off next week at NBA All-Star 2019, where AT&amp;T will also be the presenting partner of NBA All-Star Practice and Media Day. 

Two rookies (Bridges and Diallo) and two second-year NBA players (Collins and Smith) comprise the AT&amp;T Slam Dunk field.  Here is a closer look at the participants:

• Miles Bridges, Hornets: Competing in his home arena, the 6-7 forward is the Hornets’ first Slam Dunk participant since 2010 (Gerald Wallace).  Bridges, the 12th overall pick in NBA Draft 2018 presented by State Farm, has 12 double-digit scoring games this season.  He was a consensus 2017-18 Second Team All-American in his sophomore season at Michigan State.

• John Collins, Hawks: Collins leads Atlanta in scoring (19.6 ppg) and rebounding (10.0 rpg) and ranks ninth in the NBA in field goal percentage (58.4).  He earned a spot on the U.S. Team for MTN DEW ICE Rising Stars, which will be played on Friday, Feb. 15 during NBA All-Star 2019.  The 6-10 forward-center was named to the 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds last season.  A former Wake Forest star, Collins is Atlanta’s first Slam Dunk competitor since 2006 (Josh Smith).  

• Hamidou Diallo, Thunder: Diallo, a 6-5 guard, recorded a 44.5-inch maximum vertical jump at the 2017 NBA Draft Combine powered by Under Armour, the second-highest mark in event history.  The 45th overall pick in NBA Draft 2018 presented by State Farm has appeared in 43 games as a rookie with Oklahoma City.  In his three starts, Diallo has averaged 8.7 points and shot 76.9 percent from the field.  He is the Thunder’s first Slam Dunk participant since 2011 (Serge Ibaka). 

• Dennis Smith Jr., Knicks: Smith returns to Slam Dunk after finishing third last season.  The 6-3 guard, who was acquired by New York in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 31, is averaging 12.8 points and 4.4 assists per game.  Last season, the Fayetteville, N.C., native averaged 15.2 points and 5.2 assists and joined Collins on the 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie Second Team.  Smith is the Knicks’ first Slam Dunk competitor since 2013 (James White). 

In the two-round event, participants can perform any dunk they choose.  The players have a maximum of three attempts to complete each dunk in both the first round and the final round.  Five judges score every dunk on a scale of 6 to 10, resulting in a high score of 50 and a low score of 30.

All four competitors get two dunks in the first round.  The two players with the highest combined score for their two dunks advance to the head-to-head final round.  The player with the highest combined score for his two dunks in the final round is crowned the champion.  Click here for a complete explanation of the rules.

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John Collins to Join Miles Bridges, Hamidou Diallo and Dennis Smith Jr. in 2019 AT&T Slam Dunk

ATLANTA -– Atlanta Hawks second-year forward/center John Collins and rookie guard Trae Young were selected as participants in the 2019 MTN DEW ICE NBA Rising Stars on Friday, Feb. 15 at 9 p.m. ET, it was announced today.

Collins, the No. 19 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, leads all sophomores in double-doubles (19) and has two separate six-game double-double streaks this season. The Wake Forest product is averaging 19.5 points and 10.0 rebounds this season, making him one of just eight players posting at least 19.5 points and 10.0 boards in 2018-19. The big man is shooting .595 from the field this season, 7th in the NBA and the second-best mark of all-time among second-year players to average at least 19 points and 10 rebounds per contest (Shaquille O’Neal – .599 in 1993-94).

Collins posted 11 double-doubles in 12 December contests, averaging 21.3 points and 12.8 rebounds per game. He became the second Hawks player ever to average at least 21.0 points and 12.5 rebounds in a month (Kevin Willis twice) and the first Atlanta player with a 20-point/10-rebound month since Paul Millsap in December 2013.

On 1/23 at Chicago, Collins tallied a career-high 35 points (career-best 14 FGM, career-high-tying four 3FGM, 3-3 FTs) in 29 minutes. He became the third player since 1979-80 to record at least 35 points, 14 FGM, eight rebounds and four three-pointers in less than 30 minutes, joining Larry Bird in 1986 and Stephen Curry in 2017.

Young has started each of Atlanta’s 49 games this season and leads all first-year players in assists per game (7.3) – good for 7th in the NBA – and sits atop the Eastern Conference rookie leaderboard in points per game (16.4), steals per game (0.88), double-doubles (14), 30-point games (two) and free throws made (167) this season. The University of Oklahoma product was named the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November after a three-game stretch with at least 10 points and 10 assists in each contest to open the month.

Young’s current averages of 16.4 points and 7.3 assists per game would place him alongside Chris Paul (2005-06) and John Wall (2010-11) as the only rookies to post at least 16.0 points and 7.0 assists in a season since 1997-98. The No. 5 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Young lays claim to 14-of-the-20 contests rookies have posted with at least 10 assists this season, including six-of-the-10 games in which a first-year player has recorded at least 20 points and 10 assists. 

Through 13 contests in January, Young is averaging 18.4 points, 7.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game. From Jan.26-28, Young became the first NBA rookie to record two consecutive contests with at least 26 points, 10 field goals made and eight assists since Stephen Curry in 2010, per the Elias Sports Bureau. 

In his third professional game, the University of Oklahoma product scored 35 points and dished out 11 assists in a 133-111 win at Cleveland on Oct. 21. The effort made Young the first player to record a 35-point/11-assist game within the first 10 contests of his career and paired him with Stephen Curry (2/10/10) as the only rookies ever with 35 points, 11 assists and six 3FGM in a single game.

Collins and Young will become the second pair of Hawks teammates to participate in the annual showdown in two years, as Collins teamed with Taurean Prince in last season’s contest.