Durant: Ask World team if they plan to compete in All-Star Game

HOUSTON — Kevin Durant humorously noted on Wednesday that he’s part of an “old head” squad with LeBron James, Stephen Curry (currently injured), and Kawhi Leonard at the 2026 NBA All-Star Game — yet he minimized worries about how hard his team, the USA Stripes, will compete.

“You should be asking the Europeans and the World team if they’re ready to compete,” the Houston Rockets star stated, chuckling. “If you look at Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic now, we should consider how they perform in the All-Star Game. Is that competition? We haven’t questioned their style, but we’re curious about the old heads from America.”

“Luka and Jokic don’t seem to care about the game. They’re out there lying on the floor, shooting from half court. But everyone is concerned about the old heads playing hard? I see through that. It’s just a recurring topic everyone is discussing.”

The NBA revealed the rosters for the midseason event last week, distributing 25 names across three teams. This season marks the introduction of a fresh All-Star format — a U.S. vs. World round-robin competition taking place on Sunday at the LA Clippers’ venue in Inglewood, California.

Commissioner Adam Silver believes that this new format could foster national pride among the players; however, Durant opted for a cautious approach.

The idea of a U.S.-vs.-World matchup has been a topic of discussion for years as a potential means to reignite interest in the All-Star Game. Durant appeared skeptical about the new format’s success.

Durant later learned that San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is aiming to put forth his best effort during the All-Star Game.

Wembanyama told reporters Tuesday night, “I’ve watched the All-Star Game, and it clearly hasn’t been competitive. Personally, I’ve always believed that if I were in that situation, I wouldn’t step on the court to lose or not care. Just like at home, I never enter a board game thinking I’ll lose. … If I’m out there, I might as well strive to win.”

Durant’s reaction: “We’ll see.”

“He said that last year too,” Durant added. “They mentioned it was the least interesting All-Star Game that viewers had experienced. So, we’ll find out. Who knows what will happen? This new format might change things significantly, but who knows? We’ll see.”