California high schools lead state-by-state looks at every NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest participant since 1986

By Thomas Frey Feb 14, 2025, 9:30am

Two-time defending champion Damian Lillard of Oakland is going for a three-peat on NBA All-Star Saturday night.

California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Texas and Virginia are high school basketball hotbeds that have produced the most 3-Point Contest competitors since the NBA All-Star shootout began in 1986.

Damian Lillard of Oakland headlines 20 competitors to come from California. Lillard is looking to become the first three-peat winner since Craig Hodges in 1992.

Hodges is one of 11 3-point shooters from Illinois and played at Rich East (Park Forest) under head coach Steve Fisher. Jalen Brunson and Antoine Walker also hail from Illinois, the No. 2 state on this list.

Michigan, New York, Texas and Virginia are tied for third with seven selections each.



Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.), Brantley (Ala.), Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.), Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.), Charlotte Christian (Charlotte, N.C.), Northwestern (Detroit, Mich.) and Palisades (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) are the only schools to have multiple players compete over the past 40 years.

In total, 36 states have at least one player that has competed in the Three-Point Contest during All-Star Weekend.
(Graphic: Ryan Escobar)
(Graphic: Ryan Escobar)
California (20)
Arron Afflalo, Centennial (Compton)
Ryan Anderson, Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills)
Gilbert Arenas, Grant (Van Nuys)
Brent Barry, De La Salle (Concord)
Michael Cooper, Pasadena
Paul George, Knight (Palmdale)
James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood)
Jason Kapono, Artesia
Steve Kerr, Palisades (Pacific Palisades)
Damian Lillard, Oakland
Reggie Miller, Poly (Riverside)
Tracy Murray, Glendora
Paul Pierce, Inglewood
Norman Powell, Lincoln (San Diego)
Bryon Russell, San Bernardino
Byron Scott, Morningside (Inglewood)
Klay Thompson, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)
Kiki Vandeweghe, Palisades
Leon Wood, Santa Monica
Nick Young, Cleveland (Reseda)

Illinois (11)
Nick Anderson, Simeon (Chicago)
Jalen Brunson, Stevenson (Lincolnshire)
Tim Hardaway Sr., Carver (Chicago)
Hersey Hawkins, Westinghouse (Chicago)
Craig Hodges, Rich East (Park Forest)
Jeff Hornacek, Lyons (LaGrange)
Jim Les, Niles Notre Dame (Niles)
Sam Mack, Thornridge (Dolton)
Quentin Richardson, Whitney Young (Chicago)
Fred VanVleet, Rockford Auburn (Rockford)
Antoine Walker, Mt. Carmel

Michigan (7)
B.J. Armstrong, Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills)
Voshon Lenard, Southwestern (Detroit)
Dan Majerle, Traverse City Central (Traverse City)
Terry Mills, Romulus
Glen Rice Sr., Northwestern (Flint)
Steve Smith, Pershing (Detroit)
Trent Tucker, Northwestern

New York (7)
Danny Green, St. Mary's (Manhasset)
Tobias Harris, Half Hollow Hills West (Dix Hills)
Kevin Huerter, Shenendehowa (Clifton Park)
Sam Perkins, Shaker (Latham)
Cliff Robinson, Riverside (Buffalo)
Kenny Smith, Archbishop Molloy (Queens)
Kemba Walker, Rice (Manhattan)

Texas (7)
Clyde Drexler, Sterling (Houston)
Craig Ehlo, Monterey (Lubbock)
Daniel Gibson, Jones (Houston)
Damon Jones, Ball (Galveston)
Rashard Lewis, Alief Elsik (Houston)
Julius Randle, Prestonwood Christian (Plano)
David Wesley, Longview



Virginia (7)
Dell Curry, Fort Defiance
Hubert Davis, Lake Braddock (Burke)
Gerald Henderson Sr., Huguenot (Richmond)
Allen Iverson, Bethel (Hampton)
Tim Legler, J.R. Tucker (Henrico)
J.J. Redick, Cave Spring (Roanoke)
Dennis Scott, Flint Hill (Oakton)

Florida (5)
Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Montverde)
Derek Harper, North Shore (West Palm Beach)
James Jones, American (Hialeah)
George McCloud, Mainland (Daytona Beach)
Mitch Richmond, Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes)

Georgia (5)
Malik Beasley, St. Francis (Alpharetta)
Jaylen Brown, Wheeler (Marietta)
Dale Ellis, Marietta
Norm Nixon, Southwest (Macon)
Charlie Ward, Thomas County Central (Thomasville)

Indiana (5)
Desmond Bane, Seton Catholic (Richmond)
Larry Bird, Springs Valley (French Lick)
Mike Conley Jr., Lawrence North (Indianapolis)
Eric Gordon, North Central (Indianapolis)
Kyle Macy, Peru

North Carolina (5)
Seth Curry, Charlotte Christian (Charlotte)
Steph Curry, Charlotte Christian
Sleepy Floyd, Huss (Gastonia)
Michael Jordan, Laney (Wilmington)
Anthony Morrow, Charlotte Latin (Charlotte)

Pennsylvania (5)
Wayne Ellington, Episcopal Academy (Newtown Square)
Richard Hamilton, Coatesville
Cam Johnson, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Coraopolis)
Kyle Lowry, Cardinal Dougherty (Philadelphia)
Bob Sura, GAR Memorial (Wilkes-Barre)



Washington (5)
Joe Harris, Chelan
Zach LaVine, Bothell
Detlef Schrempf, Centralia
John Stockton, Gonzaga Prep (Spokane)
Jason Terry, Franklin (Seattle)

Wisconsin (5)
Tyrese Haliburton, Oshkosh North (Oshkosh)
Tyler Herro, Whitnall (Greenfield)
Wesley Matthews, Vel Phillips Memorial (Madison)
Steve Novak, Brown Deer
Terry Porter, South (Milwaukee)

New Hampshire (4)

Matt Bonner, Concord
Devonte Graham, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro)
Donovan Mitchell, Brewster Academy
Duncan Robinson, Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter)

Connecticut (3)
Michael Adams, Hartford Public (Hartford)
Scott Burrell, Hamden
Dorell Wright, South Kent School (South Kent)

Maryland (3)
Kevin Durant, Montrose Christian (Rockville)
Roger Mason, Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney)
Walt Williams, Crossland (Temple Hills)

Missouri (3)
Bradley Beal, Chaminade (St. Louis)
Jon Sundvold, Blue Springs
Jayson Tatum, Chaminade

New Jersey (3)
Kyrie Irving, Patrick School (Hillside)
Eric Murdock, Bridgewater-Raritan (Bridgewater)
Karl-Anthony Towns, St. Joseph (Metuchen)



Ohio (3)
Daequan Cook, Dunbar (Dayton)
Luke Kennard, Franklin
C.J. McCollum, GlenOak (Canton)

Alabama (2)
Chuck Person, Brantley
Wesley Person, Brantley

Arizona (2)
Mike Bibby, Shadow Mountain (Phoenix)
Channing Frye, St. Mary's (Phoenix)

Colorado (2)
Chauncey Billups, George Washington (Denver)
Pat Garrity, Lewis-Palmer (Monument)

Iowa (2)
Bobby Hansen, Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines)
Kyle Korver, Pella

Oklahoma (2)
Mark Price, Enid
Trae Young, Norman North (Norman)

Oregon (2)
Danny Ainge, North Eugene (Eugene)
Kevin Love, Lake Oswego



South Carolina (2)
Ray Allen, Hillcrest (Simpsonville)
Khris Middleton, Porter-Gaud (Charleston)

Alaska (1)
Mario Chalmers, Bartlett (Anchorage)

Arkansas (1)
Joe Johnson, Central (Little Rock)

Kansas (1)
Buddy Hield, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire)

Kentucky (1)
Allan Houston, Ballard (Louisville)

Louisiana (1)
Danny Granger, Grace King (Metairie)



Maine (1)
Cuttino Mobley, Maine Central Institute (Pittsfield)

Massachusetts (1)
Dana Barros, Xaverian Brothers (Westwood)

Mississippi (1)
Devin Booker, Moss Point

South Dakota (1)

Mike Miller, Mitchell

Tennessee (1)
Darius Garland, Brentwood Academy (Brentwood)

Foreign (11)
Marco Belinelli, Italy
Davis Bertans, Latvia
Danilo Gallinari, Italy
Rimas Kurtinaitis, Soviet Union
Lauri Markkanen, Finland
Patty Mills, Australia
Steve Nash, South Africa
Dirk Nowitzki, West Germany
Drazen Petrovic, Yugoslavia
Vladimir Radmanovic, Yugoslovia
Peja Stojakovic, Yugoslavia