The Hawks will have at least one representative at the NBA All-Star weekend next month.
Pero Antic, the 31-year-old rookie from Macedonia, was selected to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge. The game will be played Friday, Feb. 14 as part of the weekend in New Orleans that culminates with the All-Star Game two days later. The game features first- and second-year players.
“I would like to thank my teammates, the coaching staff and Hawks organization,” Antic said in a statement released by the team and also via his Twitter account. “I am proud to represent the city of Atlanta and my home country of Macedonia in New Orleans!”
Antic, currently out with a stress fracture in his right ankle, is averaging 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 15.5 minutes in 29 games. He has started eight games, all after the Hawks lost starting center Al Horford with a season-ending injury. Antic ranks fourth in 3-point field goal percentage, 10th in rebounds per game and 12th in points per game among rookies.
Antic was expected to miss two to four weeks with the ankle injury, announced by the team last Thursday. He will have missed three weeks at the time of the Rising Stars Challenge.
A draft will be held on Feb. 6, with two general managers to be named, to divide the pool of players into two teams. Fans will have an opportunity to vote online for starters after the draft.
The sophomore players in the pool are: Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard Harrison Barnes, Bradley Beal, Andre Drummond, Terrence Jones, Jared Sullinger, Jonas Valanciunas and Dion Waiters.
The rookie players oining Antic in the pool are: Michael Carter-Williams, Steven Adams, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway, Jr.,Victor Oladipo, Kelly Olynyk, and Mason Plumlee.
Antic is the fifth Hawks player to appear in the game joining Alan Henderson, Jason Terry, Josh Smith and Horford.
The Hawks signed Antic as a free agent this summer after a lengthy European career. He is the first player in NBA history from Macedonia.
