With labor negotiations ahead, the NBA would be wise to avoid emulating anything that the NHL has done. Anything, that is, except its old All-Star format.

From 1998-2002, the NHL experimented with a clash of continents in its All-Star Game, pitting the North American players against the Europeans. The NBA equivalent – USA vs. the World – would make a far more compelling matchup than the current East vs. West format, and could give the league’s global appeal a much-needed shot in the arm.

The imbalance of power between the NBA’s conferences hardly needs to be pointed out anymore, and a major reason for the West’s dominance is its scouting and development of talent from the European basketball leagues. Led by perennial powers Dallas, Sacramento, and San Antonio, every winning team in the West has at least one for eign-born player in its rotation.

Since the Athens Olympics, when the American team of NBA All-Stars finished with a disappointing bronze medal, everyone from sports bar cranks to New York Times Magazine writers has been championing international rules and style. An All-Star Game that pitted the NBA’s best domestic born players against those born on foreign soil would provide an action-packed referendum on that issue.

Consider the possible teams. The American starting five seems unbeatable: Shaquille O’Neal at center, Tim Duncan (yes, I’m counting the Virgin Islands as part of the U.S.) at power forward, LeBron James at small forward, and Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson in the backcourt. But the Americans’ aura of invincibility goes away when you consider the opposition: Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, Andrei Kirilenko, Manu Ginoboli, and Steve Nash.

The U.S bench, on the other hand, is clearly superior – the Americans’ first three would likely be Kevin Garnett, Amare Stoudamire, and Dwayne Wade, whereas the first guys off the World bench would be Pau Gasol, Mehmet Okur, and Tony Parker. But as Argentina, Lithuania, Italy, et al proved in the Olympics, the team with the most star power doesn’t always win.

As part of the NBA’s marketing strategy, this new-look All-Star Game would alternate between American and foreign soil, with the games played abroad being conducted according to international rules. A good place to start would be in Argentina, home to the defending Olympic gold medalists – imagine the celebration if the 2007 game were held in Buenos Aries with Ginoboli, Detroit’s Carlos Delfino, and Chicago’s Andres Nocioni on the World Roster.

The idea seems less far-fetched when you consider that the NBA opened this year’s exhibition season in China, where many supersize teenagers are being groomed to follow in Yao Ming’s footsteps. Hard-court missionaries like Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas continually scour the earth for the world’s best talent, spreading the word of basketball at each stop.

At present there are 79 foreign-born and bred players in the NBA, and more than a third of them are averaging double-digit scoring per 40 minutes. NBA teams hold the draft rights to another 35 foreign players, most of whom are now honing – and often showcasing – their skills in the European leagues. Eight foreign-born players were drafted in the first round of the 2004 draft.

While the U.S. still produces far more topnotch basketball talents than the rest of the world, the imbalance diminishes by the year. While the international All-Stars might struggle to keep up in the first few games, they could look toward brighter times as younger players mature. Either way, this sort of game would have much more sizzle than the exhibition scheduled for Sunday evening.