The NBA announced its intention to have the 2026 All-Star Game played under a Team USA vs. Team World format, pitting the best American players in the league up against the NBA's ever-expanding group of international standouts.
During Thursday's episode of First Take, Stephen A. Smith issued a bold warning to the league, indicating it was critical for next year's All-Star Game to be a success.
"If this doesn't work, I think you're going to see the NBA do away with All-Star weekend. And this era of players will forever be stained for the rest of their lives because All-Star weekend was banished because of a lack of effort," Smith said during Thursday's episode.
"If this doesn't work [USA vs. World], I think you're going to see the NBA do away with All-Star weekend. And this era of players will forever be stained for the rest of their lives because ASW was banished because of a lack of effort."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 5, 2025
—Stephen A. Smithpic.twitter.com/kp4b0MP1fg
Those comments drew a response from Kevin Durant, who needed just one word to write off the take from Smith.
"Dramatic," wrote Durant on X.
Dramatic https://t.co/6l250nqCAL
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) June 5, 2025
The NBA All-Star Game has grown stale among fans, in part due to players not giving 100% effort as they look to avoid injury while playing in the showcase. That has led to a weakened product, something the league is hoping to alleviate with its change in the game's format.
While Smith spoke about the doom and gloom that could stem from another unsuccessful All-Star weekend, Durant, a 15-time NBA All-Star, made clear that he thinks the ESPN talking head is being more than a little bit over the top with his latest remarks.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kevin Durant Had One Word for Stephen A. Smith’s Bold Take On the NBA All-Star Game.
