USA vs. Rest of the World: a solution for the All-Star Game?

This year, the NBA decided to tweak its most dazzling game to make it more novel and modern. With expectations that it would attract greater admiration, it didn't, and it backfired on the world's top basketball league. The All-Star Game 2025 drew more criticism than praise because it lost that spectacle it traditionally used to offer and left a duel of more intensity, as if it were a regular season or Play-off matchup.

This time, to make people forget the nonsensical All-Star Game 2024 - in which the original East vs. West format was restored after several years of being modified, but which faced heavy criticism due to the final score (211-186)-, the NBA introduced a new model. The 24 best players in the NBA would be divided into three teams, each captained by former players Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith. A fourth team would join, consisting of the winner of the Rising Stars Challenge. The four teams would first compete in semifinals and then in the final. The team that reached 40 points would win.

The sketched design was executed, but did not please much of the basketball world: neither many of the fans, nor many of the analysts, nor the players themselves. For this reason, the NBA has already begun to listen to various proposals in search of the perfect formula to make the All-Star Game one of the most anticipated events of the season again, generating more excitement and attention. And, above all, to leave aside the intensity that is already seen throughout the regular season and recover the spectacle of yesteryear.

All-Star World Game' or USA vs. the Rest of the World

It is still unknown what the next All-Star Game will be like. However, ideas are already starting to come out of the heads of the entire basketball planet. One of the suggestions -which is not the first time it has been raised- is that of playing the best American players against the best players from the rest of the world, taking advantage of the fact that several of the latter are great basketball players who lead important NBA franchises. Something like making an 'All-Star World Game.'

In the All-Star Game 2025, seven international players were participants in the event: Alperen Sengun (Turkey), Pascal Siakam (Cameroon), Victor Wembanyama(France), Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Zach Edey (Canada), and Nikola Jokic (Serbia).

Six of them are in at least their second NBA season, with already proven experience. The seventh, Edey, is a rookie. There are some cases - such as Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) - who are the leaders of their franchises. Also Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), who is the best player of this season. And Jokic, who led the Denver Nuggets to win the first Ring of their history in 2023.

There are others who were not at the All-Star Game 2025, such as Slovenian Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers), Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Canadian Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets), Cameroonian Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Finnish Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz) or Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings), among others. Players who are capable of demonstrating great skills on the court and aspire to be in the event.

Players support the idea

Regarding the possibility of seeing a USA-Rest of the World duel, some of these international players have already spoken out. For example, after the All-Star Game 2025, Antetokounmpo - who was unable to play it due to injury - stated that it would be "the most interesting and exciting format."

"I would love that. Oh, I would love that. I think that would be the most interesting and most exciting format. 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, like having Shai, Jokić, Luka, Wemby, Towns, Sengun... Going up against the best U.S. players, I think it would be fun," said the Greek Bucks star.

Wembanyama, who was indeed in the All-Star Game 2025, was in the same vein as Antetokounmpo: "I'd love it. My opinion is that it makes more sense. There would be more at stake."

Aware of the level shown by international players, pitting the best American players against the best foreign players in the upcoming All-Star Game could once again generate the attention it deserves and provide the spectacle it offered years ago.