As the NBA searches for ways to revive interest in its All-Star Game, one concept that gets frequent mention is a U.S. vs. the World format. Several international players expressed their support for that idea after Sunday’s mini-tournament, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
“I would love to. My opinion is that it’s more purposeful,” said Victor Wembanyama, who figures to be a regular at the All-Star Game for the next decade or so. “There’s more pride in it. More stakes.”
Nine-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo was even more enthusiastic about the idea in his post-game press conference.
“I would love that. Oh, I would love that,” he said. “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.”
As Reynolds points out, the NHL has been able to generate enormous passion by scrapping its traditional All-Star format and replacing it with the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament. Saturday’s showdown between the U.S. and Canada in Montreal stoked an intense national rivalry and featured three fights in the first nine seconds of the game.
According to Reynolds, some NBA officials are watching the NHL’s success and considering how it could be adapted to basketball. There aren’t enough All-Star players from specific nations to divide them into four teams, but a matchup of American and international stars could create a fresh look for the annual showcase.
“Sometimes things just get old and kind of need a facelift,” Draymond Green said. “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.”
Reynolds notes that this year’s rosters already feature six international All-Stars, with Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo joined by Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Pascal Siakam and Alperen Sengun. Luka Doncic would likely be there if not for the injuries have plagued him this season, and Reynolds points to Karl-Anthony Towns, who plays for the Dominican Republic in international competitions, as another addition.
However, filling out the World roster could mean adding a few players who aren’t as deserving of All-Star status. It would also take away four spots from American players, who make up roughly 70% of the NBA, which is why there’s reluctance to try it out.
“Not to say we couldn’t figure out a way around this, but to the extent we want to have a fair process for picking All-Stars, if you’re picking half the players from a 30% pool and the other half from a 70% pool, it might not be fair to the players,” commissioner Adam Silver said recently. “So, that’s one thing we’re looking at.”
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