Giannis Antetokounmpo floats wild Team USA vs Team World idea to revive NBA All-Star Game ratings: "Must see basketball"

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has an idea that could raise the ratings for the annual All-Star game. Many fans considered the 2025 iteration of the NBA's All-Star game a disappointment despite the mini-tournament format that was introduced.

On Monday, Antetokounmpo re-posted an image on X (formerly Twitter) that showed an interesting matchup. The graphic showed Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Steph Curry and Jayson Tatum on one side. On the other were Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The original post asked which side would win in a series. However, Antetokounmpo altered the idea by saying that's what the new All-Star game should look like.

"This should be next year All Star Game format!!" Giannis tweeted. "Must see basketball."

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League commissioner Adam Silver is reportedly considering the same format for the 2026 All-Star Game, The Athletic's Joe Vardon reported on April 28.

Silver and the NBA are reportedly considering having a format where players represented their country or region at the All-Star Game. Silver said he noticed the attention given to international basketball, especially with the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's idea was already partially used during the 2025 All-Star Game

Giannis Antetokounmpo's idea was already partially implemented last season, although it wasn't what the league intended. The mini-tournament style for the All-Star Game featured four teams: Three All-Star squads and the winner of the Rising Stars challenge.

The three All-Star squads were drafted by Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley, who functioned as general managers. During the draft, the three acting GMs decided to split the All-Star pool into "OGs," "young stars" and "global stars."

O'Neal's OGs featured Jaylen Brown, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Damian Lillard and Anthony Davis. Kyrie Irving was also part of the team after being named as a replacement for the injured Davis.

Smith's young stars featured several young stars, including some first-timers. These are Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards, Darius Garland, Tyler Herro, Jaren Jackson Jr., Evan Mobley and Jalen Williams.

Chuck's international lineup featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Donovan Mitchell, Alperen Sengun, Pascal Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns and Antetokounmpo. Trae Young was later named as a replacement for Antetokounmpo, who couldn't participate due to an injury.

About the author

Miguel is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 7 years. A lover of the sport owing to its mental aspect, he has played it throughout high school and college as a power forward and small forward, and has also coached high school and college basketball teams. These experiences have given him a unique perspective on the game, which translates into insightful content.

For Miguel, the San Antonio Spurs, especially during the Tim Duncan era, were the embodiment of team basketball. He respects Gregg Popovich's empathy toward his players and his understanding of the game. The Spurs' titles, Kobe Bryant's poignant "Dear Basketball" tribute, Derrick Rose's remarkable 50-point game with Minnesota and Magic Johnson's remarkable comeback are among Miguel's top basketball moments.

For his articles, he conducts thorough research, cross verifies information with at least three sources, and sometimes sacrifices speed for accuracy. Content simplification and maintaining a neutral view on topics are his strengths.

Miguel follows other sports, particularly the NFL, and when not working he enjoys hobbies like cooking and playing video games.

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Edited by Ribin Peter