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NBA ALL-STAR HORSE TOURNAMENT

In 2009 the NBA unofficially incorporated this event to the All-Star Weekend. The contest was aired live on TNT with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber. The H-O-R-S-E was not a success, and lasted only 2 editions. Los Angeles 2011 won't host a new H-O-R-S-E tournament.

H-O-R-S-E is a popular game where the only skill required is shooting. The object is to avoid acquiring the five letters in the word "horse". With two players competing, player #1 is allowed to shoot from anywhere on or off the court and, if he makes the shot, then player #2 must repeat the same shot from the same position. If player #2 misses, he receives the first "letter" from the word "horse". However, if player #1 misses his original shot; then player #2 is now free to shoot from anywhere on the court and, hopefully, force player #1 to try and duplicate his made shot. A player is knocked out of the game once he has enough letters to spell out the word "horse."

Before the first All-Star appearance, in 1978 the CBS came up with a H.O.R.S.E. tournament among some of the league’s top players, taped during the off-season, to be shown at halftime of regular season broadcasts. Pistol Pete Maravich, who, with an arsenal of incredible trick shots signed up to participate. So did such legends as Bob McAdoo, George Gervin or Paul Westphal.

Watch H.O.R.S.E Videos

2010 - Kevin Durant: Watch 2010 contest highlights

Kevin Durant repeated championship thanks to his great long range shooting. As the TNT broadcast announced that the time for the contest was finishing, Durant and Rondo only have two letters. The rules said that they have to make a "sudden death round" shooting 3-pointers from the top of the key until someone missed 3 attempts. At this point, Rondo made 9-12 but Durant was unsttopable with a 11-12 good shots.

2009: Kevin Durant Watch 2009 contest highlights - Watch full HORSE 2009 contest

Kevin Durant came back on fire late in the contest and won the first edition. Mayo made the best shot going up into a sitting area in the stands from a halfcourt distance.
As the auto insurance company Geico sponsored the contest, the letters were changed from the usual H-O-R-S-E to G-E-I-C-O.

Read every single shot taken in the contest play-by-play