The NBA announced that a new event, Nestle Crunch All-
     Star 2ball, will lead off its All-Star Saturday Night on
     February 7, 1998 at MSG.  The one-minute competition will
     include NBA and WNBA players.  Three teams have confirmed
     their participation: Houston's Clyde Drexler and Cynthia
     Cooper; N.Y.'s Allan Houston and Rebecca Lobo; and
     Sacramento's Mitch Richmond and Ruthie Bolton-Holifield. 
     Winners will split $25,000; second place earns $10,000 and
     third place gets $5,000.  All others receive $2,000 (NBA). 
          THE LEGACY OF THE DOCTOR: The 2ball game will replace
     the NBA's dunk contest, and in Providence, columnist Bill 
     Reynolds writes that "yesterday's announcement probably was
     a basketball version of the mercy killing.  For when we've
     gone from Doctor J. to [Brent] Barry in 20 years it's called
     downward mobility" (Providence JOURNAL-BULLETIN, 12/18).
          WE GOT DUNK! ABL execs announced that a dunk contest
     and three-point shootout will be part of a three-hour "Fan-
     Fest" on January 17, the day before the league's All-Star
     Game in Orlando, FL.  There will also be a basketball skills
     clinic and a player autograph session (USA TODAY, 12/18).