Kevin Durant teases Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic while questioning if new format will improve All-Star Game

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant knows most American stars don’t care about the All-Star Game. However, he pointed out that neither do international standouts.

The NBA has once again revamped its All-Star Game to increase competitiveness and, by extension, viewership. The new format features Team USA Stars, Team USA Stripes and Team World. All three teams will play 12-minute games in a round-robin format. The squads with the top records advance to the championship game. The event is scheduled for Sunday at 5 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock) in Los Angeles.

Durant, 37, will play for Team USA Stripes alongside Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (41) and Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (34). When asked if the older players would give 100% Sunday, Durant turned attention to Lakers guard Luka Doncic (26) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (30).

Kevin Durant jokes about international stars’ lack of effort in past All-Star Games

“You should ask the Europeans and the World team if they’re going to compete,” Durant said after scoring 21 points in a 105-102 loss to the Clippers (via Michael Shapiro of the Houston Chronicle). “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? So, we haven’t questioned what they’ve been doing. But we’re going to question the old heads and Americans.

“But these two dudes out there, Luka and Jokic, they don’t care about the game at all. 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. It’s just an overall topic that everybody’s been talking about.”