NBA and MTN DEW shake up the 3-Point Contest
The MTN DEW 3-Point Contest will get a facelift for the 2020 All-Star Weekend.
Since 1986, the 3-Point Contest’s been a mainstay of All-Star Saturday. The festivities hosted some of the game’s premier stars, producing iconic moments.
Today’s game revolves around 3-point shooting, both in quality and quantity. Recent seasons pushed the frontier, with the league’s paramount marksmen expanding the dimensions of the hardwood. Your Steph Currys, Damian Lillards and Trae Youngs nonchalantly launching shots from the edges of the halfcourt logo became commonplace.
“The 3-point shot has transformed the way basketball is played and is the most exciting element of today’s game,” Justin Toman, head of sports marketing at PepsiCo, said in a press release. “More and more players are mastering their 3-point shot, some from well behind the arc. Working closely with our partners at the NBA, MTN DEW has evolved the 3-point contest to capture the thrill of the deep shot and give fans a faster, more exciting experience.”
To match the times and juice excitement, the 2020 contest will receive an added layer of depth, or in this case, range. In its second year of sponsorship, MTN DEW will place two pedestals 29-feet-9-inches from the basket — a full six feet behind the 3-point line — in the middle of the MTN DEW Zone. Each will hold one special MTN DEW-branded green ball worth three points, pushing the maximum score from 40 to 46 per round. Contestants need at least one foot within the MTN DEW Zone while shooting for a valid attempt.
To account for the pedestals, each shooter gets an extra 10 seconds added to their round. The changes for the shootout pair with the new format for the All-Star Game itself.
“As a longtime partner of the NBA, we’re excited to test athletes’ limits like no other contest has done before,” said Erin Chin, senior director of marketing at MTN DEW. “The fans are accustomed to bold players making bold shots all season long, therefore, this new edition of the “MTN DEW Zone,” six-feet beyond the arc is the perfect addition to complement the contest.”
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The rest of the rules remain in place from last year: five racks and money balls around the arc, an eight-player field with the top three moving onto the finals. The current contestant pool consists of Devonte Graham, Zach Lavine and reigning champ, Joe Harris. Luka Doncic, Buddy Hield, Duncan Robinson and Trae Young are among the rumored entrants.