Chris Paul attempted to find a loophole in the rules of the NBA All-Star 2025 Skills Challenge, but he and his San Antonio Spurs teammate Victor Wembanyama were disqualified for their actions.
In the final stage of the Challenge, which involves shooting, Wembanyama and Paul opted to fling the balls towards the basket instead of shooting them from the rack to save time in the relay.
TNT broadcasters Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller suspected Paul of being the mastermind behind the scheme, given his experience as a 20-year NBA veteran. However, Wembanyama claimed that the idea not to shoot was actually his own, according to Draymond Green. He even mentioned that he had cleared his hack with several NBA executives.
The other components of the Challenge include dribbling and passing drills, with a half-court shootout serving as the tiebreaker. It makes one wonder what Paul and Wembanyama had planned for that stage.
Team Spurs faced backlash from fans at the Chase Center and disapproval from their fellow competitors for trying to bend the rules and rush through the relay. Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers notably gave them a thumbs-down for their attempt to exploit a loophole.
The other teams in the Challenge were Team Cavs (Mitchell and Evan Mobley), Team Warriors (Green and Moses Moody), and Team Rooks (Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher). With controversy overshadowing the competition, Green could have easily been suspected as the instigator.
Despite Paul’s efforts to appeal the disqualification, it remained in place. Will his actions negatively impact the All-Star Skills Challenge? Perhaps it’s time to consider reintroducing a H-O-R-S-E competition where shots must actually go in.