Wembanyama promises to enhance competitiveness in All-Star Game
LOS ANGELES — The previous encounter between San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama and a squad filled with American All-Stars occurred during a memorable gold medal match between France and the USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
As the NBA unveils a new All-Star Game format this weekend, aiming to harness that competitive energy by dividing the participants into two teams—one comprising Americans and the other featuring international players, instead of the conventional East-West alignment—Wembanyama expressed his commitment to contribute to a meaningful game on Sunday.
“Highlight plays, playing effectively, and distributing the ball with enthusiasm,” Wembanyama stated on Saturday when asked how he intended to establish a competitive atmosphere. “When you share that enthusiasm, others feel a sense of obligation to reciprocate.”
Following recent All-Star Games that barely resembled traditional NBA contests—highlighted by the East’s 211-186 victory in 2024 in Indianapolis, which marked a low point for the exhibition, especially after Hall of Famers Larry Bird and Julius “Dr. J” Irving urged players to take the game more seriously in their pregame address—Wembanyama asserted that this year would be different.
“I have confidence in how it will unfold,” Wembanyama remarked.
However, some American stars expressed skepticism.
When Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who participated in that gold medal match in Paris, was asked if the All-Star Game could replicate that level of intensity, he responded simply, “No.”
When prompted to elaborate, the four-time All-Star, who is part of the younger USA Stars team, stated, “That was the Olympics. It’s just that straightforward.”
Kevin Durant, a 16-time All-Star on the veteran USA Stripes team, noted that the NBA All-Star Game has never been as competitive as it is nostalgically remembered by fans.
“I believe fans and media require something to critique, and the All-Star Game doesn’t evoke the same feelings they had as children,” Durant commented on Saturday. “They need something to complain about. To be honest, I don’t think it’s a significant issue, the All-Star Game or All-Star Weekend. [We are] simply here to celebrate the game of basketball. People [are] still coming to honor the game of basketball. They are here to watch.”
“Viewers at home are voicing concerns about the game and its intensity. I don’t think we’ll ever move past that, but witnessing everyone still present, fulfilling their roles, and advancing the game throughout this weekend, you can feel the energy in the city, with so many past legends.”
Durant mentioned that he has spent time on YouTube reviewing All-Star Games from the 1960s to the 1990s.
“I wanted to understand what the hype was about and whether it truly had that level of intensity, like a Game 7 as you all described it back then … And it wasn’t,” Durant remarked. “The intensity that the older generation speaks of, I’m not sure I’ve witnessed it, you know?”
Nonetheless, every player found something to aspire to from previous All-Star games.
While Sunday will reveal whether the new format enhances the experience, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, making his second All-Star appearance, expressed a desire to return to the traditional conference rivalry after the league has experimented with player captain drafts, a target score ending, and now USA versus the World.
“I would like to experience East vs. West,” Cunningham stated. “I want to experience what all the greats participated in … I’m sure it will return eventually.”
