USA vs. the World: Inside the NBA’s Latest Attempt to Revive Its All-Star Game

It’s America against the world, and for once it has nothing to do with tariffs, travel restrictions or military posturing. Instead, the contest will play out on the hardwood in Southern California with a heavy assist from TikTokers, YouTubers and Instagram stars.The 2026 NBA All-Star Game tips off on Sunday at Intuit Dome near Los Angeles and arrives as both a basketball event and a digital spectacle. Commissioner Adam Silver’s latest brainstorm to revive the league’s midseason showcase is built not only around a new “USA versus the World” format, but also around an aggressive push to control the conversation online.To that end, the NBA has invited more than 200 influencers to All-Star Weekend, hoping a flood of short-form videos, behind-the-scenes access and curated hype can generate the kind of buzz the game itself has struggled to produce in recent years.The league would welcome any positive posts. All-Star Weekend arrives at a time when the league is plagued by repeated accusations of tanking — a strategy of sitting healthy star players to lose enough games to improve draft lottery odds. Fans paying premium prices to watch NBA games are often disappointed when star players don’t compete because they’re being “rested,” eroding trust in the nightly product.This week, the NBA fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for what it called “overt” tanking.“Behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of the NBA competition and we will respond accordingly to any future actions that compromise the integrity of our games,” Mr. Silver said in announcing the fines. “Additionally, we are working with our Competition Committee and Board of Governors to implement further measures to root out this type of conduct.”Against that backdrop, the NBA would much rather attention be focused on All-Star Weekend’s new format and the social media echo chamber surrounding it. Instead of East vs. West, this year’s event is USA vs. the World, featuring a three-team round-robin tournament composed of two American squads and one international team.The three teams — USA Stars, USA Stripes and Team World — will compete in a series of four 12-minute games designed to add some intensity to the competition. Game 1 matches the USA Stars against Team World. The winner plays USA Stripes in Game 2, while the loser meets USA Stripes in Game 3. The two teams with the best records advance to a championship game. If all three teams finish 1-1, point differential determines which teams play for the title.The influx of international talent in recent years make the matchup intriguing on paper. Team World is loaded with elite international stars led by Victor Wembanyama, Deni Avdija, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Alperen Sengun, Pascal Siakam, and Karl-Anthony Towns.USA Stars counter with Anthony Edwards, Scottie Barnes, Devin Booker, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, and Tyrese Maxey.USA Stripes includes Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, and Norman Powell.The Stars will be coached by J.B. Bickerstaff. Mitch Johnson will coach the Stripes, while Darko Rajakovic will coach Team World.With NBC broadcasting the game, the America against the world theme plays well with the network’s coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The league is hoping the players will be more committed to playing at both ends of the floor if they are representing their country.Still, the game has lost a bit of its star power with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Stephen Curry ruled out due to injury. But there are storylines for the influencers to follow.Mr. James, 41, is making his 22nd and possibly final All-Star appearance in an already legendary career. He became the oldest player ever to record a triple-double in an NBA game on Thursday in a 28-point, 10-rebound, 12- assists performance in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 124-104 win over the Dallas Mavericks. If pride, nostalgia and sheer competitiveness motivate him to play hard on Sunday, others may follow.There is also history on the other end of the spectrum. Mr. Avdija is making his first All-Star appearance and becomes the first Israeli-born player to make an All-Star game roster. He is enjoying a breakout season, averaging 25.2 points a game for the Portland Trailblazers while trying to avoid being caught in the intersection of basketball and politics.“I’m looking forward to the people of Israel and the fans who will come to support me, and to see the Israeli flag behind my jersey,” he said. “It’s a great milestone.”Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt, who played and coached in Israel before arriving in the NBA, called Mr. Avdija, 25, an inspiration. “Basketball is very big in Israel,” Mr. Blatt told the Sun. “Deni is a great source of pride and inspiration for the people young and old. He’s a true all-star.”The NBA has been trying to restore the competitive energy that made the All-Star Games of the Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan era must watch television. The game has drifted far from that lately. In 2024, the Eastern Conference stars defeated the West, 211-186, in the highest scoring game in All-Star history. Last year’s attempt, a four-team tournament that oddly included the Rising Stars, was a snoozer.Fixing the All-Star Game would be a significant win for Mr. Silver as he juggles broader challenges, including gambling scandals, roster availability concerns, and a push to secure investors for NBA Europe.USA vs the World might help. The influencers might help even more.

USA vs. the World: Inside the NBA’s Latest Attempt to Revive Its All-Star Game

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