All-Star Weekend in New Orleans is getting some Oklahoma flavor.
Thunder rookie Domantas Sabonis will take part in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, the NBA announced on Wednesday, playing for the World Team against the U.S. Team in the showcase game for first- and second-year players.
He'll be joined on the roster by Pelicans rookie Buddy Hield, a former star at Oklahoma.
Sabonis averages six points per game, 13th among rookies. He’s sixth among rookies in rebounding and 3.4 per game. Hield averages 8.8 points, fourth among rookies.
A native of Lithuania, Sabonis will join a world team that includes Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, New York’s Kristaps Porzingis and Denver’s Nikola Jokic.