LeBron questions “USA vs the world” idea: “The world is gigantic”

LeBron James is not fully sold on one of the league’s newest idea around the NBA All-Star Game. Speaking during All-Star media availability, the four-time MVP was asked about moving away from the traditional East vs West format in favor of a USA vs the world matchup. LeBron’s response was blunt.

In the league’s new format, there will be three teams total - two from the United States (USA Stars and USA Stripes) and one with international competitors from all over (Team World). They will play in a round-robin tournament with each team facing each other once and the two with the best records advancing to the championship game.

LeBron James weighs in on All-Star changes, Lakers’ future and his own

James, who is a part of Team USA Stripes for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, is struggling to understand the logic behind the change.

“I like the East-West format,” he said. “The USA versus the world… the world is gigantic over the USA. So I’m just trying to figure out how that makes sense.”

While he stopped short of outright criticism, LeBron made it clear that the long-standing structure still holds value for him, calling the East-West game a “tradition” that’s ”been really good."

“I don’t want to dive too much into it though,” he added. “We’ll see what happens with this.”

LeBron’s comments come as the NBA continues to lean into its global growth, with international stars increasingly dominating the league. Still, his remarks highlighted the logistical and competitive imbalance he sees in framing the All-Star Game around nationality.

It was one of the few moments where LeBron expressed skepticism, a contrast to his usual openness toward experimentation and evolution within the league.

NBA All-Star Game 2026: Teams

The NBA All-Star Game will be played tonight, with the first starting at 5 p.m. ET at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California and will be available to stream on NBC and Peacock. You can also follow along with our live text coverage of the games right here on AS USA.

These are the complete teams for the competition:

Team USA Stars: Scottie Barnes, Devin Booker, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Anthony Edwards, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey

Team USA Stripes: Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, De’Aaron Fox, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Stephen Curry (injured, replaced by Brandon Ingram)

Team World: Deni Avdija, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Norman Powell, Pascal Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns, Victor Wembanyama, Giannis Antetokounmpo (injured, replaced by D’Aaron Fox), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (injured, replaced by Alperen Sengun)

On longevity and the ‘interlocked’ era

LeBron was also reflective when discussing his place in the NBA’s current generation of stars, particularly alongside Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.

“When it comes to me, Steph and KD, we’ll be interlocked for the rest of our careers for sure,” LeBron said. “We’ve intersected so many times - Finals, regular season, Olympics. It’s been an unbelievable journey.”

He made a point to exclude Giannis Antetokounmpo from that group...for now.

“Giannis is a little different,” LeBron joked. “He’s a lot younger than us.”

Lakers focus: Health over everything

Turning his attention to the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron emphasized that health, rather than standings or speculation, is the biggest concern as the regular season enters its final stretch.

“I’m not quite sure how many games we’ve had with a full roster,” he said. “Our success is going to come down to our health.”

LeBron described the post-All-Star portion of the season as a shift in mentality.

“We’ve gotten past the marathon,” he said. “Now the sprint is about to start.”

Despite ongoing questions about his future beyond this season, LeBron insisted that uncertainty hasn’t affected his urgency.

“This game is geared toward the postseason,” he said. “Same motivation. Same effect.”

Life after basketball? Not yet

When asked about post-career ambitions, including NBA ownership, especially with expansion discussions circulating, LeBron kept his focus on the present.

“There’s a lot of things I can tap into if I want,” he said, referencing ownership and other ventures. “But right now, I’m still locked in on what’s going on with our season.”

“What I want to do at 45, 50, 55 is create great vibes and fun with my family and friends,” LeBron said. “Great memories that will last forever.”

Shouting out the next generation

LeBron also used the session to highlight younger players and the future of the game, praising Australian guard Josh Giddey for his development and growth as a shooter.

“You can’t just sag off him anymore,” LeBron said. “He’s shooting the ball at a high clip.”

He also spoke glowingly about his sneaker collaboration with Juju Watkins, calling her “an unbelievable basketball player” and emphasizing his desire to help grow the women’s game globally.

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