The NBA 3-Point Contest is changing again.
For the first 28 years of the sharpshooting competition, the format remained constant. Then, in 2014, the NBA added a rack of all money balls. Now, the 2020 version will include two shots from six feet behind the 3-point line, worth three points each. Shooters will also have 10 extra seconds to complete the contest, compensating for the added shots.
MORE: Full list of NBA All-Star starters and reserves
The players competing in the new version include defending champion Joe Harris, returning competitors Damian Lillard and Buddy Hield, and new faces Trae Young and Davis Bertans.
The #MtnDew3PT field at #NBAAllStar #StateFarmSaturday!
— 2020 NBA All-Star (@NBAAllStar) February 4, 2020
@DBertans_42@Devonte4Graham
Joe Harris@buddyhield@ZachLaVine@Dame_Lillard@D_Bo20@TheTraeYoung pic.twitter.com/xCbxNKQojN
It's not a change many fans were expecting. Out of the six All-Star events (Celebrity Game, Rising Stars Game, Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest, Dunk Contest, All-Star Game), the shooting competition probably garnered the least amount of complaints, making this shake-up somewhat of a surprise.
But the 3-Point Contest's lack of gimmicks limited its shareable social media moments, perhaps the most important metric in a modern All-Star event. This change could help the shooters compete with the rest of the weekend's festivities in that regard.