Durant Fires Back at All-Star Game Critics, Calls Out Luka and Jokic for Lack of Effort
The NBA All-Star Game has been under fire in recent years-and not for the usual reasons. The criticism isn’t about the format, the fan voting, or even the halftime show.
It’s about effort. Or, more specifically, the lack of it.
In response, the league is shaking things up again, this time rolling out a USA vs. World format in hopes of injecting some competitive fire back into the midseason showcase.
But if you ask Kevin Durant, the problem isn’t with the format-or with Team USA, for that matter. It’s with the other side.
Durant didn’t mince words when asked about the effort level fans can expect from his squad. He made it clear: don’t worry about Team USA. Worry about the World Team.
"You should ask the Europeans and the World team if they're going to compete," Durant said during a recent press conference. "If you look at Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic now, let's go back and look at what they do in the All-Star Game. Is that competition?"
Durant’s comments weren’t just a vague jab. He name-dropped two of the biggest global stars in the game-Doncic and Jokic-and questioned their approach to the All-Star stage.
"But these two dudes out there, Luka and Jokic, they don't care about the game at all," Durant continued. "These dudes be laying on the floor.
They're shooting from half court. But you've got to worry about the old heads playing hard?
I can read between the lines, bro. It's just an overall topic that everybody's been talking about."
It’s a pointed critique, and one that taps into a larger conversation about what the All-Star Game has become. For years now, fans and analysts alike have watched as defense disappeared, fast breaks turned into alley-oop parades, and players jogged through quarters like it was a preseason scrimmage.
Highlight-reel plays? Sure.
But actual competition? That’s been harder to find.
Durant’s frustration seems to reflect a growing desire-among some players and many fans-for the All-Star Game to mean something again. And while Doncic and Jokic aren’t the only ones guilty of coasting through the contest, they’ve become symbolic of a broader trend: elite talent treating the game like a glorified exhibition.
To be fair, the All-Star Game is exactly that-an exhibition. But there’s a difference between playing loose and mailing it in. And Durant, a veteran of many All-Star appearances, appears to be drawing a line in the sand.
Of course, not every player treats the game the same way. Some see it as a stage to shine, racking up points and chasing the MVP trophy. Those are the guys who bring a little edge to the floor, who want the win on their résumé, even if it doesn’t count in the standings.
The league’s decision to return to a USA vs. World format is a calculated gamble.
It’s a nod to the global nature of the game today, with international stars like Doncic, Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander among the league’s elite. And it’s also a way to stoke a little national pride-maybe even a little rivalry.
Whether that’s enough to spark real competition remains to be seen. But Durant’s comments have already added fuel to the fire.
He’s challenged some of the game’s biggest names to show up and actually play. Not just entertain, but compete.
Now the ball’s in the World Team’s court. Literally.
Will Luka and Jokic respond with a little more intensity? Will the new format bring out the best in both sides? Or will it be another night of half-court heaves and defensive no-shows?
One thing’s for sure-Durant and Team USA are ready to bring it. And if the World Team doesn’t match that energy, they might find themselves on the wrong end of a statement game.