MIES (Switzerland) - The NBA has announced the starters for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, and it's pretty clear that the best and most popular players on the planet during the first half of the season in the world's top league are also the ones who have represented their national teams at the highest level in recent years.
Nine of the ten starters participated in FIBA events over the past two years, and seven played the Olympic basketball tournament in Paris last summer, with all 10 having competed on the global stage in their careers.
Representing the West, Serbian sensation Nikola Jokic, who led his national team to a bronze in Paris, headlines the lineup alongside Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a standout from Canada’s bronze-medal campaign at the FIBA World Cup 2023 in Manila. The leader of the Thunder also played in Paris, losing to France in the quarter-final round.
They are joined by three USA Basketball icons: Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James. The Big Three claimed yet another gold medal for USA and continues to inspire the next generation of players worldwide.
In the Eastern Conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who represented Greece with his trademark tenacity at both the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece and in Paris, leads the charge. He is joined by Karl-Anthony Towns, who made a return to the Dominican Republic in the 2023 World Cup, and Donovan Mitchell (World Cup 2019), Jayson Tatum (Paris 2024), and Jalen Brunson (World Cup 2023), all of whom have proudly donned the USA jersey in recent FIBA tournaments.
We can also add that Kenny Atkinson, head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers—who are dominating the Eastern Conference—was also in Paris as an assistant coach for Vincent Collet and France. He will coach at the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.
The stars of international basketball have been shining on the biggest and brightest stages, whether at the World Cup or the Olympics. Now, they'll continue to do so as starters for their respective All-Star teams.
FIBA