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Barkley to serve as GM for revised Rookie Challenge

    by Daily News staff
    Published 

Sixers great and SportsWeek columnist Charles Barkley will serve as one of the general managers in the revised All-Star Rising Stars Challenge announced today by the NBA.

The league's top rookies previously played against the top sophomores. Now the rookies and sophomores will be mixed with Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal serving as GMs and drafting the players. The draft is scheduled for Feb. 16 (NBATV, 7 p.m.).

Each team will have a nine-man roster with players selected from a pool that was previously selected by the NBA's assistant coaches. The names of the players will be released Wednesday.

TNT's Kenny Smith will serve as the honorary commissioner. TNT analysts Mike Fratello and Steve Kerr will be part of the coaching staffs for the teams, with Fratello joining TEAM CHUCK and Kerr joining TEAM SHAQ. The head coaches for both teams will be the lead assistant coaches from the All-Star Game coaching staffs.

The game will remain as part of the Friday night festivities at All-Star Weekend (Feb. 24-26).

In other news:

*Sixers center Spencer Hawes is doubtful for Wednesday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

*The Sixers have assigned Craig Brackins to the NBA Development League.