History of the NBA Hoop-It-Up Competition
The NBA Hoop-It-Up Competition was a short-lived All-Star Weekend event held in 2002 and 2003. It brought together current NBA players, WNBA stars, retired NBA legends and entertainment celebrities for a four-person team competition.
Hoop-It-Up replaced the NBA/WNBA 2Ball Competition, which had been held in 1998, 2000 and 2001. While 2Ball featured teams consisting of one NBA player and one WNBA player, Hoop-It-Up expanded the format to include former NBA players and celebrities.
The event emphasized teamwork and provided a different type of entertainment during All-Star Weekend. Teams competed in a half-court basketball shooting game, with individual points contributing to the team's final score.
The International/Sacramento team won the inaugural event in 2002, while Los Angeles captured the championship in 2003. Hoop-It-Up was discontinued after its second edition and was replaced by the NBA Shooting Stars Competition in 2004.
NBA Hoop-It-Up Champions
| Year |
Champion |
NBA Player |
WNBA Player |
NBA Legend |
Celebrity |
Winning Score |
| 2002 |
International / Sacramento |
Hedo Turkoglu |
Ticha Penicheiro |
Sarunas Marciulionis |
Tom Cavanagh |
12 |
| 2003 |
Los Angeles |
Marko Jaric |
Lisa Leslie |
Magic Johnson |
Ashton Kutcher |
23 |
2002 NBA Hoop-It-Up Competition
The inaugural Hoop-It-Up Competition was held during the 2002 NBA All-Star Weekend in Philadelphia. Four teams participated: Houston, International/Sacramento, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
Each roster combined professional basketball players and entertainment personalities. The International/Sacramento team featured players representing Turkey, Portugal and Lithuania, alongside Canadian actor Tom Cavanagh.
Philadelphia defeated Houston in one semifinal, while International/Sacramento defeated Los Angeles in the other. International/Sacramento then defeated Philadelphia 12-9 to win the championship.
2002 Semifinal Results
| Matchup | Team | Individual Scoring | Total |
|---|
| Semifinal 1 | Philadelphia | Moses Malone 6, Justin Timberlake 2, Eric Snow 8 | 16 |
| Semifinal 1 | Houston | Kenny Smith 2, Cuttino Mobley 4, Tina Thompson 2 | 8 |
| Semifinal 2 | Los Angeles | Magic Johnson 4, Derek Fisher 2, Lisa Leslie 5, Brian McKnight 2 | 13 |
| Semifinal 2 | International / Sacramento | Sarunas Marciulionis 15, Hedo Turkoglu 6, Ticha Penicheiro 2, Tom Cavanagh 2 | 25 |
2002 Championship Game
| Finish | Team | Individual Scoring | Total |
|---|
| Champion | International / Sacramento | Sarunas Marciulionis 3, Hedo Turkoglu 7, Tom Cavanagh 2 | 12 |
| Runner-Up | Philadelphia | Moses Malone 5, Eric Snow 4 | 9 |
2002 Participating Teams and Rosters
| Team | Player | Role | Basketball / Entertainment Background |
|---|
| Houston | Cuttino Mobley | NBA | Houston Rockets guard |
| Tina Thompson | WNBA | Houston Comets forward |
| Kenny Smith | NBA Legend | Member of Houston's 1994 and 1995 NBA championship teams |
| Jamie Foxx | Celebrity | Actor and comedian |
| International / Sacramento | Hedo Turkoglu | NBA | Sacramento Kings forward; born in Turkey |
| Ticha Penicheiro | WNBA | Sacramento Monarchs guard; born in Portugal |
| Sarunas Marciulionis | NBA Legend | Former NBA guard; born in Lithuania |
| Tom Cavanagh | Celebrity | Canadian actor known for the television series Ed |
| Los Angeles | Derek Fisher | NBA | Los Angeles Lakers guard |
| Lisa Leslie | WNBA | Los Angeles Sparks center |
| Magic Johnson | NBA Legend | Five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers |
| Brian McKnight | Celebrity | Singer and songwriter |
| Philadelphia | Eric Snow | NBA | Philadelphia 76ers guard |
| Dawn Staley | WNBA | Charlotte Sting guard and Philadelphia native |
| Moses Malone | NBA Legend | Member of Philadelphia's 1983 NBA championship team |
| Justin Timberlake | Celebrity | Singer and member of *NSYNC |
2003 NBA Hoop-It-Up Competition
The second and final NBA Hoop-It-Up Competition took place during the 2003 NBA All-Star Weekend in Atlanta, Georgia.
Los Angeles and Atlanta competed in the championship game. Los Angeles featured NBA player Marko Jaric, WNBA star Lisa Leslie, Hall of Fame guard Magic Johnson and actor Ashton Kutcher.
Atlanta countered with Jason Terry, Sheryl Swoopes, Dominique Wilkins and actor Frankie Muniz.
Los Angeles won 23-19, with Marko Jaric contributing seven points. Magic Johnson and Lisa Leslie scored six points apiece, while Kutcher added four. Atlanta was led by Dominique Wilkins, who scored nine points.
2003 Championship Results
| Finish | Team | Individual Scoring | Total |
|---|
| Champion | Los Angeles | Marko Jaric 7, Magic Johnson 6, Lisa Leslie 6, Ashton Kutcher 4 | 23 |
| Runner-Up | Atlanta | Dominique Wilkins 9, Jason Terry 5, Sheryl Swoopes 2, Frankie Muniz 3 | 19 |
2003 Participating Teams and Rosters
| Team | Player | Role | Background | Points |
|---|
| Atlanta | Dominique Wilkins | NBA Legend | Atlanta Hawks all-time leading scorer | 9 |
| Jason Terry | NBA | Atlanta Hawks guard | 5 |
| Sheryl Swoopes | WNBA | Houston Comets forward and 2002 WNBA MVP | 2 |
| Frankie Muniz | Celebrity | Actor known for Malcolm in the Middle | 3 |
| Los Angeles | Marko Jaric | NBA | Los Angeles Clippers guard | 7 |
| Lisa Leslie | WNBA | Los Angeles Sparks center and 2002 WNBA Finals MVP | 6 |
| Magic Johnson | NBA Legend | Five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers | 6 |
| Ashton Kutcher | Celebrity | Actor known for That '70s Show and Just Married | 4 |
NBA Hoop-It-Up Records and Facts
First champions: International/Sacramento in 2002.
Final champions: Los Angeles in 2003.
Most championships by a team: International/Sacramento and Los Angeles, one each.
Most points by a team in a recorded game: International/Sacramento scored 25 against Los Angeles in the 2002 semifinals.
Most points by an individual in a recorded game: Sarunas Marciulionis scored 15 in the 2002 semifinals.
Highest championship game score: Los Angeles scored 23 points against Atlanta in 2003.
Closest championship game: International/Sacramento defeated Philadelphia 12-9 in 2002, a three-point margin.
Players appearing in both editions: Magic Johnson and Lisa Leslie.
Number of competitions: Two, held in 2002 and 2003.
The Legacy of NBA Hoop-It-Up
Hoop-It-Up occupied a brief but distinctive place in NBA All-Star history. By combining current NBA players, WNBA stars, former NBA greats and celebrities, it brought together several generations and different parts of basketball and entertainment culture.
The event followed the NBA's early efforts to feature WNBA players during All-Star Weekend. Its predecessor, 2Ball, had paired NBA and WNBA players in a timed shooting competition. Hoop-It-Up expanded the concept by adding retired players and celebrities, making it more of a team showcase.
After the 2003 competition, the NBA introduced Shooting Stars in 2004. The new contest returned to a shooting-based format featuring NBA players, WNBA players and former NBA stars, continuing the tradition established by 2Ball and Hoop-It-Up.
Related NBA All-Star Competitions
Historical Sources
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