If you’re in your late twenties or early thirties and a die-hard basketball fan, particularly of the NBA, you likely grew up in the early 2000s watching legends like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, Chris Webber, Dirk Nowitzki, Peja Stojaković… games back then were amazing and a cherry on top was when all those amazing players converge in one city every February, split into two teams, and put on a show at the All-Star game. Highlights galore, genuine competition to determine the best among the best.
Fast forward to today, and that magic seems lost. All-Star games these days are a snooze-fest; there’s a scarcity of actual basketball being played, and even the flashy dunks lose their appeal when defenses are virtually nonexistent. So, it’s no wonder fans are clamoring for a return to the glory days of this matchup.
The solution, quite frankly, isn’t rocket science. Shake up the team selections. USA versus the Rest of the World. It’s an idea that’s been tossed around for a while, championed by the likes of Charles Barkley. LeBron James and Kevin Durant squaring off against Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic! Now that promises to be a spectacle.
In recent years, there’s been a whisper that Europeans might be taking the reins of dominance, especially with four out of the last five MVP awards going to players from overseas (Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic). But don’t count out the Americans just yet.
Things could get seriously heated…
You know the drill with All-Star team selections over the years. The best from the Western Conference taking on the cream of the crop from the East. But that formula has lost its fizz. Viewership has waned as the game’s competitiveness dwindled. Attempts to inject excitement by having team captains pick sides fell flat. And let’s not even talk about last February’s debacle. The teams nearly cracked 400 points combined, with the East setting a new record at 211 (even at halftime, they were at a staggering 107).
Can you imagine the buzz if we shuffled the deck differently? Picture a lineup featuring Jokic, Doncic, Canadian sensation Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis, Sabonis, up against the likes of Stephen Curry, James Harden, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Davis.
FINALLY! It looks like we might get to see Americans take on the Rest of the World.
It’s hard to envision the battle-hardened Americans allowing themselves to be outshone. And you can bet the Rest of the World would be fired up to prove that a new era has dawned in the NBA, where Americans no longer call all the shots.
“We’re considering a USA – Rest of the World showdown, no doubt about it. I just think we may have moved past the phase where it can be a serious game,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver admitted.
Let’s entertain the idea as if the NBA has made the call and taken this bold step. The NBA All-Star 2025 changes its stripes. On one side, the best from the USA, and on the other, the rest of the world.
What’s your take on these hypothetical teams of a dozen players each?
Let’s break it down…
For the Americans, given that the All-Star weekend is a popularity contest of sorts, heavily influenced by fan votes, we could see a lineup like this: Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid as starters. Benchwarmers might include Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Anthony Davis... And to round it out, let’s throw in Bam Adebayo and James Harden. There’s a notable veteran presence here, with nine players over 30 years old. The youngest, Edwards, clocks in at 22.
Now, onto the Rest of the World squad. There might be some debate, but here’s our take: Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Lauri Markkanen (Finland), and Nikola Jokic (Serbia) make up the starting five. Jamal Murray (Canada), Dennis Schröder (Germany), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia), Franz Wagner (Germany), Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic), Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania), Victor Wembanyama (France) would be coming off the bench.
One thing that jumps out is the Rest of the World team’s reliance on big men. The best players are predominantly in the paint, making it tricky to find the right balance. We’ve left out Valanciunas, Gobert, and added Bogdan Bogdanovic to fill the shooting guard void (Andrew Wiggins isn’t quite the player he once was). But all in all, this squad could give the Americans a run for their money, especially the starting five, which might just edge out the American counterpart in terms of quality. Plus, the Rest of the World team is significantly younger, in their prime. Bogdanovic, at 31, is the elder statesman, with only Schröder joining him in the over-30 club.
Of course, we’re aware that names like Pascal Siakam, Alperen Şengün, Simone Fontecchio, Kristaps Porziņģis, Nikola Vucevic, Jusuf Nurkic… didn’t make the cut. But as we mentioned, there’s a logjam in the paint.
What’s your verdict? How do you see this matchup playing out?
Would you tweak anything in the lineups?
Team USA Lineup
Stephen Curry (36)
Anthony Edwards (22)
LeBron James (39)
Kevin Durant (35)
Joel Embiid (30)
Damian Lillard (33)
Jayson Tatum (26)
Kawhi Leonard (32)
Paul George (33)
Bam Adebayo (26)
James Harden (34)
Anthony Davis (31)
Rest of the World Lineup
Luka Doncic (Slovenia, 25)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada, 25)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece, 29)
Lauri Markkanen (Finland, 26)
Nikola Jokic (Serbia, 29)
Jamal Murray (Canada, 27)
Dennis Schröder (Germany, 30)
Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia, 31)
Franz Wagner (Germany, 22)
Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic, 28)
Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania, 27)
Victor Wembanyama (France, 20)
