'Must see basketball' — Giannis Antetokounmpo pushes for 2026 NBA All-Star Game to feature Team USA vs World in epic new format

Giannis Antetokounmpo. Image via: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Giannis Antetokounmpo may have missed the 2025 All-Star Weekend due to injury, but he has been vocal about the future of the NBA's midseason show. The Milwaukee Bucks star lit up social media with a bold vision for reviving the struggling All-Star Game, and it was highly anticipated: Team USA vs.
Team World. And with the league desperately seeking ways to inject life into its marquee exhibition, this might be the spark it needs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo backs USA vs. World NBA All-Star format
Giannis Antetokounmpo is looking to get in the NBA All-Star games for 2026, but with the twist that many NBA fans are rooting for. Certainly, Team USA vs. Team World has been the talk of the town for a long time. Responding to a fan on X, Antetokounmpo shared that the 2026 All-Star should have Team USA competing against Team World.
'This should be next year All Star Game format!! Must see basketball,' Giannis posted on X. He replied to a fan who attached a graphic that showed two superstar lineups — an elite American five squaring off against a dominant international squad.
For years, fans and league officials alike have lamented the All-Star Game's steady decline. Flashy but lifeless, the event has lacked urgency, effort, and authenticity.
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Now, Giannis is offering something more than just another format tweak — he's offering stakes.
The hypothetical matchup he shared was electric and will potentially be an instand fan favorite. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, and Jayson Tatum are suiting up for Team USA against a world-class international five of Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama— the game will be what fans have been asking for all along.
Also Read:
Sydel Curry-Lee revealed Seth Curry's hilarious Instagram story with her husband Damion Lee
This isn't a new idea. The NBA experimented with a USA vs. World theme in past Rising Stars games, and the NHL saw huge success with its 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. That tournament, featuring national squads from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and Finland, reignited fan interest and drew emotional buy-in from players, even if it came with heightened injury risk. Canada's overtime win against Team USA was as thrilling as it was symbolic of what All-Star events could be when players genuinely care.
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