NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2011 — Reigning champion Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics will defend his title in this year’s Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, which will be held on Saturday, Feb. 19, at Staples Center in Los Angeles as part of NBA All-Star Saturday Night. Rounding out the field are All-Stars Ray Allen of the Celtics and Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Daniel Gibson of the Cleveland Cavaliers, James Jones of the Miami Heat, and Dorell Wright of the Golden State Warriors. Allen won the contest in 2001.

Pierce bested the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry in last year’s contest, scoring 20 points in the final round to capture the title. Jeff Hornacek, Jason Kapono, Mark Price and Peja Stojakovic each won two titles; Larry Bird and Craig Hodges captured three straight.

The players will compete in the two-round competition with the top three finishers from the first round advancing to the finals. Five shooting stations will be set up around the three-point line, with four Official Spalding NBA game balls worth one point each and one Spalding NBA All-Star 2011 commemorative red, white and blue “money ball” worth two points at each location. Each player will have one minute to shoot as many balls as he can. In the final round, players will shoot in ascending order of first-round scores. At the discretion of the referee, television instant replay may be consulted for clarification of rules compliance.

The Foot Locker Three-Point Contest will be televised live nationally as part of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm, which will also feature the Haier Shooting Stars; Sprite Slam Dunk; and Taco Bell Skills Challenge. TNT and ESPN Radio’s national coverage will begin at 8 p.m. EST from Staples Center. The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 20, will air live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in more than 200 countries and will be broadcast in more than 40 languages.

Foot Locker, the title partner of the Three-Point Contest since 2004, is a part of Foot Locker, Inc., a specialty athletic retailer that operates approximately 3,500 stores in 21 countries in North America, Europe and Australia. Through its Foot Locker, Footaction, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs Sports retail stores, as well as its direct-to-customer channel Footlocker.com/Eastbay/CCS, the Company is the leading provider of athletic footwear and apparel.

OKLAHOMA CITY, January 28, 2010 – Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant was named a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star Team the NBA announced today.

“I am both excited and honored to be able to represent the Thunder and our organization as an NBA All-Star,” said Durant. “There are a lot of people who have contributed to this achievement, it is important to me that I recognize the support I have received from my teammates, our organization and my family as well as our fans. I’m looking forward to this experience and am excited to take the floor for the Western Conference.”

Durant becomes the first ever Thunder All-Star and the first franchise All-Star since Ray Allen was named a Western Conference reserve in 2007. This season, Durant is averaging 29.3 points (3rd in the NBA), 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 39.9 minutes in 45 games.

“Kevin, through his commitment, consistency and discipline, has earned this recognition,” said Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. “He has worked diligently to improve himself as an all-around player and possesses a deep respect for team and community. We are proud to have Kevin represent the Thunder at NBA All-Star Weekend.”

Since Christmas the third year forward has paced the NBA in scoring with 31.9 points per contest while shooting 51.2% from the field (174-340 FG) including 49.1% from beyond the arc (28-57 3FG). He has scored 30 or more points an NBA-best 25 times this season including 25 or more points in each of the last 19 contests, which in the most in NBA history for a player under the age of 22. Durant is on pace to become just the second player in NBA history, 21 years or younger, to finish the season with a scoring average above 29 points per contest (LeBron James, 31.4 ppg, 2005-06).

The 2010 NBA All-Star Game, which will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S., and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages, will be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before an expected crowd of more than 80,000 – the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game.