Dirk Nowitzki (14 selections) and Stephen Curry (12 and counting) were common picks by our writers.
From time to time, NBA.com’s writers will share their takes on the biggest storylines and trends around the league.
Who are your picks for All-time USA and World All Stars?
Editor’s Note: The 75th NBA All-Star Game will take place Sunday, Feb. 15 (5 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, debuting the new U.S vs. World game format.
Steve Aschburner
- USA Stars: Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West
- USA Stripes: LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade
- World: Luka Dončić, Hakeem Olajuwon, Nikola Jokić, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid
The “USA vs. World” theme this year is meant to dial up the energy of Sunday’s action at the NBA’s showcase weekend, so I chose my squads with the same ambition in mind. The World roster is what it is, eight all-timers (or soon-to-be) with a global chip on their shoulders. To get the same heat from the U.S. squads, I went with pre- and post-millennium picks. These old-school legends have each, at various times, been maligned or dismissed by modern media, fans and even some players. This would be their chance – MJ vs. LeBron, Wilt vs. Shaq, Magic vs. Steph, Oscar vs. Russ, all prime vs. prime – to put it on the court, once and for all.
Brian Martin
- USA Stars: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal
- USA Stripes: LeBron James, Vince Carter, Dominique Wilkins, Julius Erving, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson
- World: Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, Hakeem Olajuwon, Giannis Antetokounmpo
This came down to finding the right balance between competition and entertainment. Assuming all players are in their primes, let’s get the GOAT debate between MJ and LeBron on the court as they lead the USA squads. USA Stars also features a mini Dream Team reunion and a four-pack of Lakers legends. USA Stripes is a dunk fan’s dream, with Carter, Wilkins and Erving soaring through the skies while also sporting former rivals Russell and Chamberlain as teammates. Team World is so stacked that I wish we had room for a second team. Despite only being in his third season, the thought of seeing Wembanyama face guys like O’Neal, Olajuwon, Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain and Russell was too good to leave him off.
Shaun Powell
- USA Stars: Pete Maravich, Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kyrie Irving, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Allen Iverson
- USA Stripes: LeBron James, Vince Carter, Julius Erving, Dominique Wilkins, Wilt Chamberlain, Stephen Curry, Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant
- World: Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dirk Nowitzki, Joel Embiid, Steve Nash, Tony Parker
Notice that I didn’t simply and exclusively choose the greatest players ever. If I did, then Tim Duncan (USA) and Pau Gasol (World), among others, would make the cut. But this is an All-Star Game. This is about greatness and entertainment value. I made allowances for defense (Russell, Olajuwon). Otherwise, I want to see Vince Carter and Erving in the open court, Irving’s and Iverson’s handles … and Maravich playing with today’s rules.
John Schuhmann
- USA Stars: Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, Julius Erving, Kevin Garnett, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West
- USA Stripes: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell
- World: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Hakeem Olajuwon, Drazen Petrović
There’s some recency bias with the two USA teams, for sure. I favored guys I’ve seen play, though Baylor, Robertson, Russell and West are too legendary not to be included. I also had one too many centers, so Wilt Chamberlain was an unfortunate cut. I think the matchups I would most look forward to would be Petrović vs. MJ and Kobe.
