Growing up, Jordan Knight idolized Kobe Bryant. The night of Feb. 15, Kobe was his coach.

The 25-year-old Bonney Lake resident and former Spartan point guard boarded a plane for Houston and the NBA All-Star game Thursday after winning the Sprite Uncontainable Game contest.

Knight and 23 other amateur basketball players from around the world uploaded videos of their skills on the court for a chance to be selected to play on amateur teams coached by Bryant and LeBron James. Knight was selected to Bryant’s “Team Intense” to play against James’s “Team Sudden” during All-Star 2013.

“I entered in the middle of the contest,” Knight said. “There was one last round and I decided ‘I’ll try it.’ I went with my buddy to the YMCA, and for two days we played and recorded and I edited the footage down to a 30 second clip that ended up getting a whole bunch of views.”

Knight previously took second place at the 2010 King of the Rock slam dunk contest on Alcatraz Island, and he’s received offers to play for teams overseas, such as the Oberwart Gunners of Austria. He said he enjoys deploying some flash and showmanship on his offensive game.

“I like putting a smile on people’s face,” he said. “So if I’m playing, I’ll give them something flashy, like a behind-the-back pass. I like to hype and vibe off the crowd.”

Knight said he was excited to meet and be coached by one of his basketball inspirations.

“I don’t know what I’ll ask him. I don’t want to be like, ‘Can I get your autograph?'” he said, cracking up. “Maybe I’ll ask him how I can move to the next level. What steps I need to take to make it to that next level.”

The amateur game took place Friday evening after early press deadline for President’s Day, but Knight spent weeks preparing for Houston, practicing dunks with a medicine ball and carefully avoiding injury.

“I’ve been lifting too,” he said. “I can’t look like a little puny guy out on that court.”