Getty
Luka Doncic during a game against the San Antonio Spurs in December 2025
Kevin Durant had a playful response ready. The Houston Rockets forward spoke with reporters Wednesday night after a tough loss to the Los Angeles Clippers and was asked whether he and other veteran American players plan to give maximum effort in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game.
The question contained an assumption Durant wanted to address. Instead of simply answering, he turned the attention elsewhere with a smile.
Durant Questions Lakers’ Luka, Jokic’s All-Star Effort
GettyLuka Doncic and Nikola Jokic.
Durant responded to the premise of the question by pointing to Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić as examples of players who haven’t been questioned about their All-Star Game competitiveness despite questionable effort in previous years.
“You should ask the Europeans and the World team if they’re going to compete,” Durant said with a smile. “If you look at Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić 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.”
Durant’s tone was lighthearted but his underlying point came through clearly. He believes the scrutiny about veteran American players’ effort levels is misplaced when European stars like Dončić and Jokić have treated previous All-Star Games as exhibitions rather than competitions.
“But these two dudes out there, Luka and Jokić, they don’t care about the game at all,” Durant continued. “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.”
Durant’s comments referenced specific behavior from past All-Star Games. Dončić and Jokić have been seen having fun during the event, launching half-court shots and not playing defense. That approach isn’t unique to them, as the All-Star Game has become notorious for lack of defensive effort across the board.
Fun moment w/Kevin Durant postgame. I asked if his self-proclaimed “Old Heads” team will play hard in All-Star Game.
KD says he can “read between the lines.”
“You should ask the Europeans + the World Team if they want to compete. Look at Luka Doncic + Nikola Jokic, let’s go… https://t.co/bCpLobUUFE pic.twitter.com/xUuU8AEeVQ
— Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) February 12, 2026
All-Star Game Format Changes
GettyKevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets.
The NBA changed the All-Star Game format this year in an attempt to increase competitiveness. The event now features a round-robin tournament with two teams of American players and one team representing the rest of the world.
Durant will play for USA Stripes alongside other veteran stars. LeBron James is 41 years old. Kawhi Leonard is 34. Durant himself is 37. Stephen Curry was also selected but will miss the game due to injury.
The “old heads” label has been attached to Durant’s team, and with that label comes questions about whether they’ll take the game seriously. That’s where the question to Durant originated.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama recently said he plans to give maximum effort in the All-Star Game. Durant was asked about Wembanyama’s commitment to competing.
“We’ll see,” Durant said. “He said that last year too. They said it was the worst All-Star Game that people watched. So we’re going to see. Who knows what’s going to happen? This format might change the game, but who knows? We’ll see.”
Durant’s skepticism extends beyond just Dončić and Jokić. He doesn’t seem convinced the format change will meaningfully alter how players approach the game, regardless of what they say publicly.
What This Means for All-Star Game
Durant’s comments highlight the broader challenge with the NBA All-Star Game. Fans want to see more effort. The league tries new formats. Players promise to compete harder. But the incentive structure doesn’t exist to make the game truly competitive.
No player wants to risk injury in an exhibition game during the middle of the season. Defense requires more effort and carries more injury risk than offense. The result is a game that prioritizes entertainment and highlights over actual competition.
The 2024 Summer Olympics showed what international basketball looks like when the stakes matter. Jokić led Serbia to a competitive semifinal against Team USA. Wembanyama’s France pushed the Americans to the limit in the gold medal game. Those were two of the best basketball games in recent memory.
But those games featured Olympic glory on the line. The All-Star Game offers no comparable stakes. That’s the context behind Durant’s skepticism about whether the new format will change anything.
Dončić’s status for Sunday’s game remains unclear. He’s been dealing with a hamstring injury that has kept him out recently. Jokić recovered from a hyperextended knee and is expected to play.
If both suit up, they’ll have the opportunity to show that Durant’s assessment doesn’t apply to them this year. Whether they choose to do so remains to be seen.
The reality is that All-Star Game effort has declined across the board regardless of a player’s nationality or age. Young players and old players, Americans and internationals, all tend to approach the game similarly once they’re there.
Sunday’s All-Star Game will determine whether the new format creates better competition or if it becomes another edition of players going through the motions. Based on Durant’s lighthearted but pointed comments, he’s not expecting much difference regardless of what anyone says beforehand.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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