UNLIKELY STARS RISE TO THE OCCASION DUNK, 3-POINT EVENTS FEATURE SOME WHO DON'T FIT THE MOLD.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

For everything that tonight's crowd-pleasing All-Star Saturday Night exhibition promises to be, the greatest will be an opportunity for fans at Staples Center to study some of the NBA's greatest contradictions.

Start with Denver Nuggets forward Chris Andersen, who two seasons ago was playing in the National Basketball Developmental League and will be bidding to become just the second white dunk contest champion ever.

``It's not about that,'' Andersen said. ``It's all about who's the best dunker, the most creative guy. Whoever has that is the winner.''

The only other white slam dunk champion was the Clippers' Brent Barry, whose performance in 1996 while wearing his warm-up jacket never quite caught on in NBA fashion circles. But Andersen could join him by delivering a dunk in which he rotates 540 degrees in midair, about as many turns as his basketball career also has taken.

Andersen's path to the NBA took him from a Texas community college to the Fargo-Moorhead Beez of the International Basketball Association, the Fayetteville Patriots of the NBDL and then finally to the Nuggets.

Now Andersen is part of a team fighting for a Western Conference playoff spot. The 25-year-old is also representing all the players with NBA dreams in the minor leagues everywhere.

``I'm living proof,'' Andersen said, ``that if you keep with it ... keep working for your dream, you'll get it.''

Then there is 6-foot-10 Seattle SuperSonics forward Rashard Lewis, who will be easy to spot in the 3-point shootout because of his size.

As the tallest player in high school, Lewis always was told not to shoot from the outside. When he bypassed college and headed to the NBA, however, Lewis had to adjust his game and develop a perimeter shot.

``Nobody says it to me anymore,'' said Lewis, who is shooting 41.8 percent from 3-point range this season. ``It gives me an advantage because I can go inside and post up smaller guards or stay outside and shoot over them.''

Everyone roots for the underdog and 5-foot-5 Earl Boykins, who will be just that tonight. The Nuggets point guard - the NBA's smallest player - is entered in the skills competition against Baron Davis, Stephon Marbury and Gary Payton.

Boykins predictably got plenty of questions Friday about his size - ``I've never been any other height,'' he joked. Boykins then tried to turn the tables by asking reporters how tall President Bush was. The answer: about 6 feet.

``Leaders almost always are short in stature,'' said Boykins, who compensates by being one of the NBA's fastest players.

After six years in the league, Boykins added that few of his peers talk trash to him on the court. Coming off the bench in Denver, Boykins is averaging in double figures for the first time in his career.

``I think that the players respect my ability to compete at this level, to play in the NBA,'' Boykins said. ``There's hardly ever any trash talking.''

Chauncey Billups, Kyle Korver, Voshon Lenard, Cuttino Mobley and Peja Stojakovic will join Lewis in the 3-point shootout. Stojakovic is the defending champion.

The dunk contest will feature Andersen, Ricky Davis, Fred Jones and two-time defending champion Jason Richardson from the Golden State Warriors.

Richardson skipped Friday's media session in Century City. No player has ever won three dunk contests, though Richardson's competitors said they had plenty lined up for the Saturday night showcase.

Davis said he had been working on his dunks for a week and has about six to choose from tonight. The Boston Celtics guard added that his greatest inspiration would come Friday night in his hotel room.

``I've got all these dunk DVDs I'll be watching tonight,'' Davis said. ``I might be stealing something from there.''

Ross Siler, [phone]

ross.siler(at)dailynews.com

ALL-STAR SATURDAY

Dunk contest

Name.............Team

Chris Andersen...Denver

Ricky Davis......Boston

Fred Jones.......Indiana

Jason Richardson.Golden State

3-point shootout

Name.............Team

Chauncey Billups.Detroit

Kyle Korver......Philadelphia

Rashard Lewis....Seattle

Voshon Lenard....Denver

Cuttino Mobley...Houston

Peja Stojakovic..Sacramento

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS FROM THE NBA ALL-STAR GAME

Richardson Jefferson led the Arizona Wildcats to the 2001 NCAA championship game and has played in the NBA Finals with the New Jersey Nets. So where did scoring a game-high 16 points in Thursday's All-Star celebrity game rank?

``Pretty low,'' Jefferson said.

Jefferson lived every professional athlete's worst nightmare in the game: He stepped on the court at the Los Angeles Convention Center with a bunch of celebrities and brought his D-game.

After blowing three dunks in the first quarter, Jefferson got an earful from opposing coach P. Diddy. Jefferson then bricked four 3-pointers, fell and lost the ball and threw a pass out of bounds.

``(P. Diddy) started talking trash and I knew I had to bring it a little bit harder,'' Jefferson said. ``I just couldn't hit a shot.''

Jefferson said the celebrities came to ``watch him dunk and be dunked on.'' Neither was accomplished - and Jefferson's Minneapolis Lakers team suffered a 60-52 loss to the Buffalo Braves.

The highlights: Paris Hilton spent her time as an assistant coach talking on a cell phone, Ashton Kutcher spent his time as an assistant coach getting a back rub from Demi Moore's daughter and Nelly showed up sometime in the second quarter.

Steve Howey of undetermined celebrity had 10 points for the Lakers while D.J. Clue scored 14 for the Braves, outscoring several NBA and WNBA players in the game.

``I think I'm going to declare for the draft,'' Clue said, ``So you can call my agent Steve the Animal and he can make it happen.''

``Blind Date'' host Roger Lodge, meanwhile, said he was upset with playing time in the game. Lodge displayed a nice outside touch, honed from playing in a weekly league, but got only three shots all night.

``P. Diddy buried me on the bench,'' Lodge said. ``I'm pretty hot at P. Diddy right now. I need to cool off a little bit. He knew what our strengths were. On behalf of my entire team, I'm calling for P. Diddy's ouster.''

Hilton brought her dog to the game and left the court holding hands with boyfriend-of-the-month Nick Carter, who had three points.

TV will use delay

TNT has decided to use a seven-second delay for the broadcast of live entertainment at Sunday's NBA All-Star Game to allow any objectionable material to be edited out.

Turner Sports president David Levy also said that game action will be carried without a delay.

The hip-hop group Outkast will perform during player introductions Sunday at Staples Center. Christina Aguilera, whose latest album is titled ``Stripped,'' will sing the national anthem and Canadian Nelly Furtado will sing Canada's anthem.

Beyonce Knowles will perform during the halftime show. She sang the national anthem before the Super Bowl, where Janet Jackson's breast was exposed during the NFL's halftime show.

NBA Entertainment produces the All-Star halftime show.

The governor's ball

Arnold Schwarzenegger will join TNT's studio team of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson for Sunday's All-Star pregame show at 5 p.m., the network announced Friday.

Lakers schmakers

Normally, Jason Kidd would be bombarded with interviews but there were few reporters around, what with Kobe Bryant and Shaq commanding most of the attention.

When asked what he thought about the soap opera that is the Lakers, Kidd replied: ``That's one good thing about being on the East Coast. You don't even pay attention to what happens on the West Coast.''

Kidd did say that he pays attention to injuries, but other than that, he had no opinion on the Lakers, their injuries, or the uncertain status of Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson.

``Nothing's ever guaranteed,'' Kidd said. ``Guys move when they become free agents. Coaches change. You never know if Kobe's staying or leaving. You never know if Phil's staying or leaving. Who knows and who cares? I could care less.''

AI's age

Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson is nicknamed ``The Answer'' and he might just have one for the age-old question of growing old gracefully.

Asked whether he'll still be the same player at age 35, Iverson played psychologist and asked the reporter if he was ``Can I play the same game when I'm 35? Can you do what you do when you were 25?'' Iverson said to the reporter, who responded in the negative and said physical ability wasn't as important in his line of work.

``I know you can't do what you did when you were 25, and I won't be able to do it either,'' Iverson said. ``I just want to be a John Stockton, Karl Malone-type of player. Just not playing with your physical abilities but playing with your mind.

All in the translation

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is quickly becoming one of the NBA's most sought after marketers but there's one product he probably won't be endorsing any time soon:

``Explain to me what Viagra is?'' Yao said through an interpreter.

Then, after a rather humorous exchange between reporters and Yao's interpreter, he responded: ``I have no answer.''

James or Anthony?

LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have moved to a level of acceptance with questions about who the better player is.

In fact, they're even starting to develop a little schtick.

James: ``Carmelo.''

Anthony: ``We'll let ya'll decide.''

James: ``I don't play basketball all that well.''

Anthony: ``We'll let ya'll decide that.''

When asked if he was tired of being linked to Anthony, James joked:

``I still am. I don't like him.''

- Staff writers Ramona Shelburne and Jill Painter contributed.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1) New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd chats with 5-year-old son, T.J.

(2) Actor Ashton Kutcher talks strategy with New Jersey Nets forward Richard Jefferson during Friday's NBA Celebrity All-Star Game.

(3) no caption (Allen Iverson)

(4) Seattle's Ronald Murray (left) grabs hold of Dallas' Josh Howard in a playful moment at Friday night's All-Star Rookie Challenge.

Box:

(1) ALL-STAR SATURDAY (see text)

(2) SIGHTS AND SOUNDS FROM THE NBA ALL-STAR GAME (see text)