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Revolutionizing the showcase: Innovative twists to ignite the NBA All-Star Game

Revolutionizing the showcase: Innovative twists to ignite the NBA All-Star Game
The NBA All-Star Game needs improvement. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

Voting has begun on NBA.com for the 73rd NBA All-Star Game, scheduled for Feb. 18 at Gainbridge Field House in Indianapolis.

The game will return to the traditional Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format – no more schoolyard choose-up game played by gazillionaires going through the motions before one last shopping spree at the local mall.

Here’s a better idea: instead of East vs. West, make the game a contest between U.S. players and international players. Switch the location for the game back and forth, one year in the U.S., next year in Europe or Africa. Then the guys will have something to play for.

Basketball is a geographical contradiction. While it’s the only major sport 100-percent “invented” in the U.S., albeit by a Canadian grad student in Massachusetts, basketball belongs to the world now.

About 30 percent of the NBA (125 players from 40 countries) is comprised of players born outside our borders. Every team in the NBA has at least one international player. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks lead the way with eight foreign-born players. The current Rockets roster has four international players: Dillon Brooks (Canada), Alperen Sengun (Turkey), Boban Marganovic (Serbia) and Jock Landale (Australia).

The NBA doesn’t just have open borders – foreign-born players, once novelties, dominate the league. If the best U.S. players took the court against the best international players – and they played the game for real - I’m thinking the opening Vegas line would favor international players by 10 points.

Consider, the last five Most Valuable Players come from foreign lands: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) in 2019 and 2020, Nikola Jokic (Serbia) in 2021 and 2022) and Joel Embiid (Cameroom) in 2023.

By the way, the first international player to be named MVP was Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon from Nigeria in 1993.

Four of the five current leading scorers are international players. 1 - Joel Embiid (34.4 ppg). 2 – Luka Doncic from Slovenia (32.9). 3 - Kevin Durant from the U.S. (31.0). 4 – Shae Gilgeous-Alexander from Canada (30.7), and 5 - Giannis Antetokounmpo (30.6).

The first pick in the 2023 NBA draft was Victor Wembanyama from France. He was the 14th international player to go No. 1 overall.

OK, it’s time to announce the starting lineups and reserves for the 2023 U.S. vs. International All-Star Game.

International frontcourt: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid – the last five MVPs. Backcourt: Shae Gilgeous Alexander and Luka Doncic.

Reserves: Jamal Murray (Canada), Kyrie Irving (Australia), Rudy Gobert (France), Pascal Siakam (Cameroon), Bojan Bogdanovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia).

Is there any reason to go on? The line just moved, international team by 12 points.

U.S. frontcourt: Anthony Davis (because the team needs a center), Kevin Durant, LeBron James (because he’s LeBron James) but should be Jayson Tatum. Backcourt: Steph Curry and Devin Booker.

Reserves: Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, De’Aaron Fox, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson and Trae Young.

Vegas line now internationals by 15.

I’m still taking the international team and let’s make it a parlay with the over (plus-minus 275).

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Rockets win again! Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

Jalen Green scored 34 points, Alperen Sengun had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and the Houston Rockets beat the short-handed Denver Nuggets 128-108 on Wednesday night.

Green, who hit six 3-pointers, continued his recent scoring surge. He is averaging 32 points in Houston's last six games, including a career-best 42 points against Memphis on Monday.

Fred VanVleet added 16 points, eight assists and three steals for the Rockets, who beat Denver for the fifth time in six meetings.

The Nuggets were without two of their five leading scorers in reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic (right elbow inflammation) and Aaron Gordon (right calf injury).

Jamal Murray and Christian Braun each scored 22 point for Denver, which had 18 turnovers in the loss, including five apiece from its starting backcourt of Murray and Russell Westbrook.

Takeaways

Rockets: Houston won its fifth in a row and improved to 10-3 in its last 13 games to solidify its standing as the No. 2 team in the Western Conference.

Nuggets: Denver, which had won eight of its previous 10 games, absorbed its most lopsided defeat since a 145-118 loss to the New York Knicks on Nov. 25.

Key moment

Houston opened the second quarter on an 8-2 run that was capped off by a corner 3 by former Nugget Jeff Green that stretched the Rockets' lead to 11 points. Houston outscored Denver 41-25 in the period to take a 69-48 lead into halftime.

Key stat

The loss was Denver’s eighth in 20 home games this season, matching the Nuggets’ home loss total across 41 regular-season games in 2023-24.

Up next

Houston continues its three-game road swing Thursday at Sacramento. The Nuggets are back in action Friday at the Miami Heat.

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