Isaiah Thomas to compete for Skills Challenge crown at All-Star Weekend

The NBA announced the full list of participants for each of its All-Star Saturday Night competitions on Thursday and, perhaps unsurprisingly, Isaiah Thomas will be one of eight players to take part in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge.

This will be the third straight year Thomas tries his hand at the Skills Challenge and though he’s never won—he failed to get out of the first round in 2015 and was last year’s runner-up to Karl-Anthony Towns—the Celtics point guard should still be considered a favorite to take first place. He’s lightning quick, has a tight handle and, as we know, can knock down threes with the best of them.

It also helps that most players don’t usually take the event all that seriously. Over the years we’ve seen guys miss the course’s opening layup, dribble it off their foot as they go through the cones or miss the mark on passes they normally hit with their eyes closed.

You can bet Thomas will be giving it his all, though. After being snubbed as a starter for the big game on Sunday, the two-time All-Star is looking for any opportunity to prove himself to his peers around the league.

Kristaps Porzingis, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Gordon Hayward and Devin Booker will join Thomas in the contest.