With the NBA rolling out a USA vs. World format, Kevin Durant reignited the All-Star effort debate by calling out what he views as a double standard surrounding American veterans.

Speaking Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s showcase in Inglewood, Durant pushed back on the idea that his USA Stripes squad, which features fellow veterans LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, needs to prove it will compete. Instead, he turned the attention toward Team World stars Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic.

“You should ask the Europeans and the World team if they’re going to compete,” Durant said. “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? … But we’re going to question the old heads, and the Americans.”

“These two dudes out there, Luka and Jokic, they don’t care about the game at all,” Durant added. “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.”

Durant’s point was less about effort itself and more about narrative. For years, the All-Star Game has been criticized for its lack of defense and inflated scoring totals. But Durant suggested the scrutiny often lands disproportionately on American players, even though the exhibition style has been universal across rosters.

The All-Star Weekend Problem Isn’t New

For years, the league has floated format changes as a solution. Captains’ drafts. Target scores. Now USA vs. World. Skepticism remains. Last season’s widely panned showcase only intensified concerns. Even when Victor Wembanyama vowed to compete this year, Durant offered a measured response.

“He said that last year too,” Durant noted. “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?”

That hesitation reflects reality. When Jokic-led Serbia and Wembanyama-led France pushed Team USA to the brink at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the games felt urgent and electric. Gold medals were on the line. Sunday’s exhibition does not carry that weight.

The decline extends beyond the game itself. Mac McClung, who won the Slam Dunk Contest three straight years without even holding a full guaranteed contract, has elected not to defend his title this season. The last established All-Star to win the contest was Donovan Mitchell in 2018.

Since then, the event has largely showcased young players or role contributors seeking visibility rather than stars elevating the stage. Nothing has come close to recreating the electricity of the 2016 duel between Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon. The league is searching for answers. The audience is still waiting to feel something real again.

A Narrative Beyond the Game

Durant’s “read between the lines” comment sparked a broader discussion. On ESPN’s “First Take,” analyst David Dennis Jr. suggested Durant was addressing more than effort. According to Dennis, the Rockets star was pushing back against recurring narratives that frame Black American players as lazy or undeserving when All-Star intensity dips.

“If we’re gonna talk about what KD said, we’re gonna talk about what KD really said,” Dennis said. “Kevin Durant said it with jokes and everything, what he said is that he is tired of the way everybody uses, when they talk specifically about NBA players, Black American NBA players, they always use every excuse to call them lazy and say that they don’t deserve the money they get… Kevin Durant is simply pointing out, everybody treats this game the same.”

Two realities exist at once. The All-Star Game deserves criticism for its declining competitiveness. Defensive effort has waned. Star participation in side events has diminished. Responsibility does not fall on one generation or one demographic.

At the same time, Durant’s frustration suggests the framing of that criticism matters. Now the NBA is betting national pride can revive competitive fire. Durant remains skeptical. The critics remain vocal.

Sunday will not solve the identity crisis overnight. But it will reveal whether the league’s latest fix restores credibility or simply adds another layer to the debate surrounding the NBA’s midseason showcase.