cover-image

State Farm to Donate More Than $200,000 in Support of Coronavirus Relief Efforts
Veteran ESPN NBA Commentator Mark Jones to Serve as Host

ESPN, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) today announced that 10-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder, 2020 NBA All-Star Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and newly elected Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings headline the list of eight NBA and WNBA players and legends who will participate in the new NBA HORSE Challenge Presented by State Farm, exclusively on ESPN and streamed via the ESPN App.

Beginning Sunday, April 12 at 7 p.m. ET, Paul, Young, Catchings, Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, three-time WNBA All-Star Allie Quigley of the Chicago Sky, Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. and NBA Finals MVPs Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce will match shots against one another in a single-elimination HORSE competition from their respective, isolated home courts. ESPN NBA commentator Mark Jones will serve as the official host.

State Farm will donate more than $200,000 on behalf of the participants to charities focused on coronavirus response efforts. This donation builds on the more than $74 million that has been contributed by the NBA Family to date to support coronavirus relief efforts through its NBA Together campaign.

NBA HORSE Challenge Presented by State Farm participants will be divided into two groups of four, with the winners of the first two games in each group meeting in the semifinals. The winner from each group will move on to the championship round. ESPN will present the four quarterfinal games on Sunday. The semifinals and the championship game will air on Thursday, April 16, beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

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.

NBA HORSE Challenge Presented by State Farm participants:

Group 1:	Group 2:
Chauncey Billups NBA Legend, ESPN Analyst	Zach LaVine Chicago Bulls
Tamika Catchings WNBA Legend	Chris Paul Oklahoma City Thunder
Mike Conley Jr. Utah Jazz	Paul Pierce NBA Legend, ESPN Analyst
Trae Young Atlanta Hawks	Allie Quigley Chicago Sky

ESPN NBA HORSE Challenge Presented by State Farm schedule:

Date	Time (ET)	*NBA HORSE Challenge*
Sun, Apr 12	7-9 p.m.	Quarterfinals Group 1: Trae Young vs. Chauncey Billups
		Quarterfinals Group 1: Tamika Catchings vs. Mike Conley Jr.
		Quarterfinals Group 2: Zach LaVine vs. Paul Pierce
		Quarterfinals Group 2: Chris Paul vs. Allie Quigley
	9-11 p.m.	Quarterfinals Encore Presentations
Thu, Apr 16	7-9 p.m.	Quarterfinals Encore Presentations
	9-11 p.m.	Group 1: Semifinals
		Group 2: Semifinals
		HORSE Championship Game

ESPN will televise the NBA HORSE Challenge as it continues its commitment to bring the sports community together through its #oneteam initiative.

Related News

Weekly Social Roundup: April 6 - April 12

Stefanie Dolson Among Participants in NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

WNBA Tips Off Historic 20th Season With 20 Youth Basketball Events During Inaugural Jr. WNBA Week

Delle Donne To Play In NBA Cares Special Olympics Unified® Basketball Game At NBA All-Star 2016