NBA All-Star Weekend H–O–R–S–E Competition

Kevin Durant won both of the only two modern era H-O-R-S-E competitions.

The NBA All-Star H–O–R–S–E Competition (also called the NBA All–Star G–E–I–C–O Competition because of its sponsor, Geico Insurance) was a National Basketball Association (NBA) contest which began at the 2009 NBA All–Star Weekend in Phoenix, Arizona, and only lasted for two years.^[1][2] It was canceled from the All-Star festivities prior to the 2011 weekend.^[2] The contest had been held on the Saturday night prior to the All-Star Game.^[3] The NBA had held H–O–R–S–E competitions during the 1977–78 season.^[2] Throughout that season, CBS broadcast NBA games during the regular season and the playoffs. During halftime of those games, they showed a pre-taped H–O–R–S–E tournament pitting players from the NBA against each other. It featured, among others, Pete Maravich, Bob McAdoo, Kevin Grevey, and George Gervin.

Rules

The modern-day All-Star Competition is similar to that of regular H–O–R–S–E, where each participant takes shots from unconventional locations and in unconventional ways to diminish their opponents' chances of duplicating the shot. Certain rule adjustments were made, however, that differ from conventional H–O–R–S–E competition:^[1]

• No dunking is allowed.
• Players have 24 seconds each to create and mimic shots.
• An NBA referee authenticates the new shots (that the player executed what he announced) and any mimic shot.

The game takes place on a 45 feet 0 inches (13.72 m) × 50 feet 0 inches (15.24 m) court, which is exactly one-half the size of a regulation length basketball court.^[1]

Winners

†	Denotes players who are still active
Player (#)	Denotes the number of times the player has won
Team (#)	Denotes the number of times a player from this team has won

Season	Player	Team	Finished with
2008–09	Durant, KevinKevin Durant†	Oklahoma City Thunder	4 !H–O–R–S
2009–10	Durant, KevinKevin Durant† (2)	Oklahoma City Thunder (2)	3 !H–O–R

All-time participants

Player (in bold text)	Indicates the winner of the contest
Player (#)	Denotes the number of times the player has been in the contest

Season	Players
2008–09	Kevin Durant, Joe Johnson, O. J. Mayo
2009–10	Omri Casspi, Kevin Durant (2), Rajon Rondo

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "TNT to air H-O-R-S-E game featuring NBA players" (Press release). NBA. February 5, 2009. http://www.nba.com/2009/allstar2009/02/03/tnt.HORSE/. Retrieved June 21, 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Ziller, Tom (February 9, 2011). "NBA Kills All-Star H.O.R.S.E. Contest After Two Inglorious Years". SB Nation. http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2011/2/9/1984887/nba-all-star-horse-contest. Retrieved February 10, 2011. 
3. ^ "Three chosen to play H-O-R-S-E". ESPN. February 11, 2009. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/allstar2009/news/story?id=3896766. Retrieved June 21, 2009. 

External links

• Photo of the court and rig used for 2009 H-O-R-S-E Competition