INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Everyone wants the same thing: A competitive All-Star Game.
Fans want it. Adam Silver desperately wants it (remember the eye roll while handing out the trophy a year ago?) Media (and media partners) want it.
Will a new USA vs. World format finally give everyone what they want?
While the timing of the 2026 NBA All-Star Game falling during the intense international competition at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics was fortuitous, the idea of a USA vs. World format for the All-Star Game has been around for years.
The hope is that playing for their countries might spark a competitive fire under otherwise apathetic players at the All-Star Game. It was something the NHL got last year with its Four Nations Face-Off, and the NBA was envious.
When the idea of a USA vs. World game was floated after last year's defense-free All-Star Game, it was the international players who seemed more into the idea.
That remains the case.
"I'm never stepping onto the court to lose, you know, or not caring," said the Spurs Victor Wembanyama, who was voted a World starter by the fans. "Just like at home, I'm never stepping into a board game, not caring or thinking I'm gonna lose or I'm thinking it's okay to lose.
"So I'll be out there, might as well win."
The old heads of the NBA are not on the same page. Told of what Wembanyama said, USA All-Star Kevin Durant's response was cynical and telling.
"We'll see…
"You should ask the Europeans and the World team if they're going to compete," Durant said with a laugh to reporters Wednesday night. "If you look at Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic now, let's go back and look at what they do in the All-Star Game. Is that competition? So we haven't questioned what they've been doing. But we're going to question the old heads, and the Americans.
"But these two dudes out there, Luka and Jokic, they don't care about the game at all. These dudes be laying on the floor. They're shooting from half court. But you've got to worry about the old heads playing hard? I can read between the lines, bro. It's just an overall topic that everybody's been talking about."
Will it work?
There is hope — if Wembanyama leads a couple of other guys to play hard, maybe things catch on.
"I just talked to Scottie [Barnes], and we said all this stuff and all that. I told him, 'Listen, I want to win. I'm here. We here, so let's win...'" Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey said. "[Barnes is] the type of guy that'll pick up full-court. If you bring that type of energy, I'm pretty sure the rest of us young guys will do the same, you know what I'm saying? I want to have fun and make it competitive and do those different things.
"I don't want to lose to the OGs, you know what I mean? That gives them the trash-talking in the world. I'm just competitive like that in that aspect, you know what I'm saying? If I see these guys in two weeks when we play against them, those are bragging rights, those are fun to have. I think it gives a fun viewership for our fans if we're out there competing."
Nikola Jokic, like Durant, is less sure.
"For me, I'm going to play like I played every year..." Jokic said. "I'm not sure that it is going to bring another fire to me, no, because I play every game same. So to me, not."
USA Stripes coach Mitch Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs said it will come down to the players.
"I think there can be a level of competitive and playing hard that can strike a balance in a game like that, where it doesn't feel, maybe like it's too unserious, I guess," Johnson said. "I don't know what that balance is, and I think the players have to be the ones that set the tone in a situation like that.
"And I think they also deserve the right, they've earned the right to set that tone, whatever that tone might be. Those guys are there during a break for everybody else. They give a lot of time and a lot of sacrifice to be there. And I think they all are very, very deserving to be able to voice whatever they think that experience or weekend should look like."
Jokic has an idea of how it might shake out.
"We are going to have OGs [USA Stripes], maybe they're going to play the most," Jokic said. "They're going to try to prove they can still be in this league. They are really good players. Probably all of them are Hall of Famers... I think Europeans are going to probably pass the ball a lot and have fun out there. OGs is probably going to win it, and the third team is probably going to dunk the most times."
USA vs. World format
The format for the USA vs. the World is necessarily unique.
Three teams of eight (or nine for the World, if Luka Dončić plays) will compete in a round-robin format, culminating in a championship game. The teams are:
USA Stars: Scottie Barnes, Devin Booker, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Anthony Edwards, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey
USA Stripes: Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, De'Aaron Fox
World Team: Deni Avdija, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Alperen Sengun, Pascal Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns, Victor Wembanyama, Norman Powell
(Note: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were voted in as starters by the fans but are out due to injuries. They have been replaced on the rosters.)
Those three teams will play in a round-robin tournament:
Game 1: USA Stars (younger) vs. World
Game 2: Winner of Game 1 vs. USA Stripes (older)
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. USA Stripes
Game 4: Championship game featuring top two teams from first rounds. (If all the teams are tied 1-1, it comes down to point differential.)
Will having the World Team and Wembanyama play first increase the intensity in this game? Tune in at 5 p.m. Sunday on NBC and Peacock to find out.
Victor Wembanyama
Jaylen Brown
Tyrese Maxey
Cade Cunningham
Jalen Brunson
Luka Doncic
Kevin Durant
Devin Booker
Donovan Mitchell
Steph Curry
Damian Lillard
Kawhi Leonard
Anthony Davis
Russell Westbrook
