Didn’t play a single game this season, yet won the three-point contest.

Today’s individual events and tomorrow’s All-Star Game set a record for the earliest All-Star event in history. Our side kicked off at 6 a.m., while Los Angeles started at 2 p.m.

The first competition of today’s individual events was the three-point contest. Due to the early timing, many viewers missed the live stream, but it was certainly a three-point contest worth catching on replay.

In the first round of qualifiers, Kangseng Knuppel scored 27 points right out of the gate, essentially securing a spot in the finals. His performance in the three-point contest matched his regular season consistency—two words: steady and confident. Every shot counted, showing no signs of nervousness.

Then Mitchell scored 24 points, Portis 15, and Maxey 17, which were just numbers to fill in. Booker dazzled with 30 points, clinching the second spot. Lillard, the last to compete, nailed 27 points, edging out Mitchell and claiming the final place in the finals.

Among the three finalists, Booker had the lowest three-point shooting percentage of all participants; Kangseng was a rookie competing for the first time—the last rookie to participate was Booker himself; Lillard was a two-time champion.

In the finals, Kangseng went first again, but perhaps shaken mentally, he only managed 17 points. That’s typical for young players—initially, they might not aim to win, but once in the finals, pressure affects their shooting. It’s still very tough for rookies to win the three-point contest, especially against opponents with over a decade of experience.

Lillard went second, sinking 14 out of 16 shots, including a 4-point money ball. His accuracy dipped later, but he still finished with 29 points. Booker came out strong too, hitting nine consecutive shots and a 4-point ball. With three money balls left, Booker had 27 points; making one would tie Lillard, two would win it. However, Booker missed all three, creating one of the most dramatic moments in three-point contest history.

So, Lillard, who hasn’t played a single game this season and is already confirmed out for the season, won this year’s three-point contest. His shooting form and consistent accuracy make him perfect for this event. This is his third title, tying the all-time record.

Before the individual events started, I guessed the three-point contest would be the most exciting, and unfortunately, I was right. This year they canceled the skills challenge and brought back the shooting stars, but it ended up feeling like just a warm-up shooting session for a few players, far less entertaining than the skills challenge.

The dunk contest probably hit a new low again. First, the four participants were shockingly unknown. The most recognizable was Lakers’ Hayes, who was also the last to perform. The others were Spurs rookie Carter Bryant, Magic rookie Jace Richardson—son of two-time dunk champ Richardson—and Heat undrafted rookie Kesshad Johnson.

People who don’t follow the NBA closely probably have no idea who these guys are. None of the four really impressed; amid a bunch of mediocre dunks, Kesshad Johnson took the crown—his dance moves were more entertaining than his dunks. Hayes’ two dunks in the prelims were even worse than his in-game under-the-leg dunk.

The dunk contest has become increasingly lackluster; even somewhat famous players avoid embarrassing themselves by participating. The level drops every year, and honestly, this contest’s quality now feels about the same as the CBA’s.

With this year’s dunk contest flopping again, the NBA will probably have to assign specific players for the one-on-one contest next year. Otherwise, there really is no point in holding this All-Star event anymore.