NBA Announces Utah Jazz Guard Mike Conley As ‘H-O-R-S-E’ Challenge Participant

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The NBA, alongside the NBA Players Association and ESPN, announced Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley Jr. as a participant in the league’s upcoming “NBA H-O-R-S-E Challenge.”

The Jazz guard was named one of the competition’s eight participants on Thursday, April 9.

The NBA’s first-ever “H-O-R-S-E” competition will have players “match shots against one another in a single-elimination HORSE competition from their respective, isolated home courts.”

H-O-R-S-E Format & Players

The NBA said that each game will start with a coin toss to decide who shoots first. The more senior player will be the one to call heads or tails on the coin.

“Players must describe each shot attempt, specifying the type of score they intend to make before taking a shot, such as a bank shot or swish. Dunking is prohibited. The first player in each game to accumulate the letters “H-O-R-S-E” after failing to match five shots is eliminated.”

NBA HORSE Challenge begins Sunday, April 12, at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN! Who ya got? @TheTraeYoung vs. @1MrBigShot @Catchin24 vs. @MCONLEY10 @CP3 vs. @alliequigley @ZachLaVine vs. @paulpierce34 pic.twitter.com/NRhfBCHlJY

— NBA (@NBA) April 9, 2020

Conley was announced as a member of Group 1, which features Chauncey Billups (former NBA player and current ESPN analyst), Tamika Catchings (WNBA legend), and Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks).

Group 2 of the challenge includes Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), Chris Paul (Oklahoma City Thunder), Paul Pierce (former NBA player and current ESPN analyst), and Allie Quigley (WNBA player for the Chicago Sky).

In the first round of the challenge, Conley is scheduled to face WNBA legend Tamika Catchings.

State Farm is sponsoring the event and “will donate more than $200,000 on behalf of the participants to charities focused on coronavirus response efforts.”

The competition is scheduled to begin on Sunday, April 12 at 5 p.m. (MDT). The semifinals and the championship game will start on Thursday, April 16, beginning at 7 p.m (MDT). The event will be televised on ESPN.

Mike Conley

Conley was in the middle of his 13th NBA season and first with the Jazz before the NBA season was suspended.

He’s appeared in 41 games for Utah this season including 35 starts. He’s posted averages of 13.8 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.2 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per game as a member of the Jazz.

NBA & Coronavirus

The NBA became the first major sports league to pause its schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 on March 11.

Minutes after Gobert’s test results came back, the NBA postponed a game between the Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Shortly thereafter, the league halted play for all teams this season.

League commissioner Adam Silver recently said that the NBA won’t make any decisions regarding its 2019-20 schedule until at least May.

Coronavirus Resources

• Have you or a family member been affected by coronavirus issues in Utah? KSL TV wants to hear from you. Contact KSL by emailing social@ksl.com.
• What is COVID-19? Here’s What You Need To Know To Stay Healthy
• What We Know And Don’t Know About The Coronavirus
• Four Common Coronavirus Questions Answered
• The latest coronavirus stories from KSL TV can be found at our Staying Safe: Coronavirus section.
• Your Life Your Health: How can parents prepare their home, children against coronavirus?

How Do I Prevent It?

The CDC has some simple recommendations, most of which are the same for preventing other respiratory illnesses or the flu:

• Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
• Avoid touching your face
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

How To Get Help

If you’re worried you may have COVID-19, you can contact the Utah Coronavirus Information Line at 1-800-456-7707 to speak to trained healthcare professionals. You can also use telehealth services through your healthcare providers.

Additional Resources

If you see evidence of PRICE GOUGING, the Utah Attorney General’s Office wants you to report it. Common items in question include toilet paper, water, hand sanitizer, certain household cleaners, and even cold medicine and baby formula. Authorities are asking anyone who sees price gouging to report it to the Utah Division of Consumer Protection at 801-530-6601 or 800-721-7233. The division can also be reached by email at consumerprotection@utah.gov.