When the NBA announced the participants for the 3-Point Contest, two names stood out: Devin Booker and Damian Lillard. Some Charlotte Hornets fans might be wondering how the league thought they were objectively more deserving than, let’s say, LaMelo Ball, who made seven 3-pointers in the Hornets' important win over the Atlanta Hawks to raise his average to 3.4 threes per game.
On the other hand, it’s tough to justify the inclusion of Booker and Lillard.
Were Book and Dame legacy picks?
In his defense, Booker won the shootout in 2018, and the NBA probably invited the Phoenix Suns superstar as the representative of one of the top 3-point shooting teams this season. Still, one can’t help but wonder whether his spot should have been given to someone else, considering he has made just 1.7 threes per contest on a career-low 31.1 percent shooting in the 2025-26 campaign.
Meanwhile, two-time winner Lillard hasn’t even suited up this season and is expected to miss the entire campaign as he rehabs a torn Achilles tendon. To be fair, he is the only contestant this year who has not yet missed a shot from beyond the arc. It’s not as if the All-Star Weekend will be held in Portland or his hometown of Oakland.
Why not Melo?
A possible reason Booker and Lillard got in was to help make the event even more star-studded. After all, the competition has turned into arguably the biggest draw of All-Star Saturday. That title used to belong to the Slam Dunk Contest, but it has been a long while since that was true.
If that were indeed the case, Ball should have received consideration for the 3-Point Contest. He might not be as popular as he once was, but he could have helped hype the crowd, especially because Intuit Dome is just an hour drive away from his hometown in Chino Hills.
Based on stats as well, Ball should have gotten the nod. He is sixth in average 3-pointers made, a hair ahead of teammate and shootout contestant Kon Knueppel. Wednesday saw him sink at least seven threes for the fifth time this campaign. To put that in perspective, Booker’s season-high is six, which he logged back in October.
Other hopefuls are also probably deserving of a spot, including Michael Porter Jr., Sam Merrill, Luke Kennard, and more. However, if the NBA wanted a big draw who has the numbers to back it up, Ball would have been the ideal pick.
The good news for Charlotte fans is that they still have Knueppel to rally behind. He has the opportunity to become the first rookie and first player in franchise history to bring home the 3-point crown. So, Ball may not be taking part in the event, but we know who he is rooting for.