The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will feature a new format. Instead of East vs. West, it will be Team USA against Team World, emphasizing the NBA’s global reach.
The league sees more international stars than ever, and officials believe this change reflects current realities. However, not everyone agrees with the new approach.
Draymond Green’s Perspective
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green shared his views on “The Draymond Green Show.” The four-time All-Star expressed doubts about whether the new format addresses existing issues. He feels that introducing new ideas might distract from what made the game enjoyable in the past.
“If I know better about my body, then I’m gonna do better about my body. I think until that starts to be prioritized, I don’t think you’re going to have a good game. I just don’t see it. And the gimmicks by the way? The gimmicks of the All-Star game? Best in the East, best in the West, it works when the game is good, right? … I think that makes it actually more of a joke in trying to do the gimmicks than just saying, it’s East vs. West.”
Green also commented that the USA vs. World format cannot replace the traditional East-West rivalry.
“It may work for a year. It looks good in a year and then you’re like, ‘Ah, I don’t want to see that again.’ Because it wasn’t a real game. It wasn’t the games that I grew up watching…. I can’t see this World vs. USA, and then equated to when KG was on the East, and Shaq’s on the West. I can’t know that. It doesn’t make sense to me. It’s not the same thing.”