NBA players Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul were disqualified from the Skills Challenge on All-Star Saturday night after their unconventional strategy did not meet the game’s rules. The San Antonio teammates aimed to save time by quickly completing shots from three different locations on the court, rather than taking multiple attempts as required.
Wembanyama, a second-year player and reigning rookie of the year, read the rules and devised the plan with Paul. They successfully completed the challenge in 47.9 seconds, but were deemed ineligible due to not following the rules. Wembanyama defended his strategy, stating that “numbers speak for themselves.”
Other competitors, including Golden State’s Draymond Green, also questioned the team’s approach, but acknowledged that Wembanyama had asked others about their plan beforehand. Despite being disqualified, Paul and Wembanyama expressed their enjoyment of the unconventional method, saying they wanted to see if it would result in the fastest time.
The disqualification was met with some criticism from competitors, including Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, who were eliminated in the final round. However, both players acknowledged that Wembanyama’s strategy was not unusual, and might have worked if executed correctly.
Source: https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/team-cavaliers-win-skill-challenge-after-bizarre-spurs-disqualification