Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant criticized the level of effort shown by non-American NBA stars at the All-Star Game, believing that an increase in competitiveness at the main event of the exhibition weekend does not depend solely on U.S. veterans.
At the upcoming All-Star in Los Angeles, a new All-Star Game format will be introduced for the first time — a mini-tournament featuring three teams, two made up of U.S. players and one consisting of representatives from the rest of the world.
The format was introduced in order to boost competitiveness among an otherwise disinterested elite group of players. A member of the “Team USA Veterans,” Kevin Durant criticized the commitment and approach of international players.
“You should ask the Europeans and Team World whether they’re going to compete. If you look at Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić right now, let’s go back and see what they do at the All-Star Game. Is that competition? So, we didn’t question what they were doing, but we’re going to question the veterans and the Americans,” Durant said, before continuing:
“Luka and Jokić don’t care about the game at all. They lie on the floor. They shoot from half court. But you have to worry about the older players who are trying hard? I can read between the lines. That’s a general topic everyone is talking about,” emphasized the superstar with 16 All-Star selections in his career.
He also commented on the statement made by Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, a member of Team World, regarding the loss of competitiveness at the main event of All-Star Weekend.
“He said the same thing last year. They said it was the worst All-Star Game people had watched. So we’ll see. Who knows what will happen? This format could bring changes, but who knows? We’ll see,” Durant concluded.
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Source: RTS; Foto: Printscreen YouTube