NBA Players Want a New All-Star Game Format: US versus World

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Chuck's Global Stars walks out during introductions before the NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center in San Francisco on Feb. 16, 2025. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Breaking from the East-West matchup in the NBA All-Star Game didn’t sail smoothly on Sunday in the San Francisco Bay Area, but there’s one future option that has gained traction.

“We needed to change, needed some new life, new juice in the game, something kind of unexpected,” Golden State Warriors All-Star guard Steph Curry told reporters on Sunday.

The NBA had a three-game tournament on Sunday involving basketball celebrity-led teams as Team Shaq took the title 41–25 over Team Chuck. Instead of former NBA greats Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley overseeing mini games in a tournament, the NBA could go the U.S. versus World route instead next year. The NBA now has a plethora of stars from other countries, and there’s backing for it.

Greece native Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks has become one of the game’s brightest stars, and he has an NBA championship under his belt too. Accustomed to international competition outside the NBA, Antetokounmpo shared his thoughts on a new format for the next All-Star Weekend.

“Oh, I would love that,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “I think that would be the most interesting and most exciting format. I would love that. For sure, I'd take pride in that. I always compete, but I think that will give me a little bit more extra juice to compete.”

Antetonkounmpo didn’t play as a member of Chuck’s Global Stars in this year’s All-Star games due to injury, and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama stepped up in Antetonkounmpo’s absence with 11 points in the final. Wembanyama, a France native, would also welcome a U.S. versus World format.

“I would love to. My opinion is that it’s more purposeful,” Wembanyama told reporters. “There’s more pride in it. More stakes.”

There’s also enough star power among the international players to form a whole team that could compete with America’s best. Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks, and Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers all played in Sunday’s All-Star games and have international ties. Other future possibilities included Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls, Franz Wagner of the Orlando Magic, Kristaps Porzingis of the Boston Celtics, and Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz.

“Having Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], Jokic, Luka, Wemby, Towns, Sengun—I know those players, obviously I’m missing some guys that I cannot think from the top of my head—going against the best U.S. players, I think it would be fun,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think that would be the best format.”

American players are seeing the need. Atlanta Hawks and All-Star guard Trae Young, who played for Chuck’s Global Stars, got blunt about his thoughts regarding the tourney format.

“To be honest, I didn’t like it at all,” Young told reporters. “I didn’t like the breaks (between games).”

“The games were so short. Obviously, we can score,” he added. “So they’re trying to, I feel like, trying to extend the game, extend the TV time with the breaks and things like that.”

Warriors forward Draymond Green, who hasn’t played in an All-Star game since 2002, blasted the format during an interview with TNT on Sunday. He referenced the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off as an idea to pay attention to. The U.S.-Canada hockey game on Feb. 15 drew 4.4 million TV viewers.

“Sometimes things just get old and kind of need a facelift,” Green told TNT. “I know they’ve done different things to try to get it going. I think what'll be interesting to see is how this 4 Nations thing turns out in hockey. If that turns out great, might have to peek an eye.”