Team USA All-Stars vs Team World All-Stars.
It's a tantalizing thought, and something fans and the media have been talking about in the past versions of the NBA All-Star Game. And it might just become a reality.
League commissioner Adam Silver expressed that there "may be a point in the future" for a US vs the World NBA All-Star Game. NBA writer Marc Spears reported the development, as Silver spoke to sports radio station KNBR.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver says to @KNBR that the new All-Star Game tournament format that will include the Rising Stars Challenge champs will be “really exciting” on Sunday. Silver says there may be a point in the future for US versus the World in the NBA All-Star Game.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 11, 2025
It's certainly worth a thought.
The finalists for the 2023-24 NBA MVP award all came outside the United States--Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Jokic eventually picked up the plum--his third overall. He shares the MVP distinction with French-Cameroonian Joel Embiid and Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo for the past six years.
In fact, the NBA opened its 2024-25 season with a record-tying 125 international players from a record-tying 43 countries across six continents. With this spread, all 30 teams feature at least one international player.
[ALSO READ: By the numbers: NBA continues global growth with record-tying 125 international players]
While USA vs the World may not be happening just yet, the 2025 NBA All-Star Game certainly delivers a glimpse of it with the revamped mini-tournament format.
TNT analyst Charles Barkley notably drafted all the international players to be part of the "Global Stars": Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Serbia's Nikola Jokic, Turkey's Alperen Sengun, Cameroon's Pascal Siakam, Dominican Republic's Karl-Anthony Towns, and France's Victor Wembanyama.
Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young--selected as a replacement for Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo--round up the team.
They will face Team Kenny's "Young Stars"--led by Anthony Edwards in the semifinals.
On the other end of the bracket, Team Shaq's "OGs"--featuring LeBron James and Stephen Curry--will take on Team Candace's "Rising Stars".
"[Barkley] decided that because of the popularity of these players and the style of play these players bring," NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum said to the international media during an availability session. "In a sense, this tournament allows fans to see the international players vs some of the more veteran players, against the younger players."
"I think it's gonna create an interesting dynamic for the fans and it's gonna be entertaining as well."
The NBA All-Star 2025 will be held from February 15 to 17, Philippine time. It will be aired on One Sports, NBA TV Philippines, RPTV, and the Pilipinas Live app.
[ALSO READ: NBA All-Star 2025 Philippine guide]
