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Kevin Durant is heading into another NBA All-Star appearance, but the Houston Rockets superstar is already pushing back against questions about effort, competitiveness, and whether veteran players will take the revamped showcase seriously.
The NBA is introducing a new United States vs. World round-robin tournament format for the midseason event, set to take place in Inglewood, California, at the Los Angeles Clippers’ home arena.
While commissioner Adam Silver believes national pride could elevate the intensity of the game, Durant made it clear he believes the scrutiny should not be focused solely on Team USA’s veteran stars.
“You should ask the Europeans and the World team if they’re going to compete,” Durant said, according to ESPN. “If you look at Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic now, let’s go back and look at what they do in the All-Star Game. Is that competition? So we haven’t questioned what they’ve been doing. But we’re going to question the old heads, and the Americans.
“But these two dudes out there, Luka and Jokic, they don’t care about the game at all. These dudes be laying on the floor. They’re shooting from half court. But you’ve got to worry about the old heads playing hard? I can read between the lines, bro. It’s just an overall topic that everybody’s been talking about.”
The format shift has been discussed for years as the league searches for ways to restore competitiveness and fan engagement during All-Star weekend.
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has already promised a high-effort performance, telling reporters, “I’ve seen the All-Star Game, and obviously it hasn’t been competitive. And I’ve always thought myself that if I was in there, I’m never stepping onto the court to lose or not caring. Just like at home, I’m never stepping into a board game not caring, thinking I’m going to lose. … I’m going to be out there, I might as well win.”
READ MORE: JJ Redick Describes Issue With Trying to Contain Victor Wembanyama
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