Robert Covington To Reportedly Take Part In All-Star Skills Challenge

The Trail Blazers forward is the NBA's only active player to attend an HBCU.

C.J. McCollum's foot injury ruined his chances of becoming a first-time All-Star. Still, it turns out Damian Lillard won't be the only Trail Blazer representing his team in Atlanta after all.

According to Marc Spears of The Undefeated, Robert Covington will participate in the All-Star Skills Challenge. 

Blazers forward Robert Covington is expected to take part in the Skills Challenge next Sunday before the NBA’s All-Star Game in Atlanta, a source told @TheUndefeated. The ex-Tennessee State star is the only #HBCU player left in the #NBA. The NBA is also honoring HBCUs at All-Star

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 28, 2021

Covington, who played college basketball at Tennessee State, is the NBA's only active player to attend an HBCU. The National Basketball Players' Association, partnering with the league, has pledged more than $2.5 million in funds and resources toward HBCUs as part of this season's All-Star events.

Covington played four seasons at Tennessee State before going undrafted in 2013. A three-time All-OVC (Ohio Valley Conference) honoree, he finished his career as the Tigers' seventh all-time leader in both scoring and rebounding.

The Blazers acquired Covington in a trade with the Rockets on February 17, sending Trevor Ariza, their 2020 first-round pick and a lottery-protected 2021 first-rounder back to Houston. The Rockets subsequently moved Portland's 2020 first-rounder to the Pistons, who selected big man Isaiah Stewart with the 16th pick.

Covington is averaging 7.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 32.0 percent from three-point range, a career-low. But he's improved from beyond the arc since a dreadful start to the season, and Covington's impact on Portland extends far beyond traditional box score numbers anyway.

One of the most disruptive help defenders in basketball, Covington is arguably the Blazers' best player on that side of the ball. Portland's defensive rating dips 6.5 points below its porous season-average with Covington in the game, per Cleaning the Glass, a team-best. 

The Skills Challenge will take place on March 7 before the All-Star Game. Broadcast coverage on TNT starts at 2:00 p.m. (PST).

READ MORE: Don't Blame Robert Covington For Blazers' Toothless Defense