Kevin Durant sends strong message to Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic before NBA All Star Weekend as debate over effort heats up

Kevin Durant did not stay quiet before NBA All Star Weekend. The Houston Rockets star openly questioned the effort of Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and other young European players when asked about the drop in intensity at the NBA All Star Game.

Kevin Durant made it clear he did not like the idea that older stars are the reason the event has lost its edge. Speaking about the criticism aimed at veteran players, Kevin Durant said, “But these two dudes out there, Luka and Jokic, they do not care about the game at all. These dudes be lying on the floor, shooting from half court, but you got to worry about the old heads playing hard.” His words quickly turned into one of the biggest talking points heading into the weekend.

Kevin Durant calls out Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic as NBA All Star Game scores show rising numbers and falling defense

To understand this debate, we have to look at the history of the NBA All Star Game.Back in 1998, during Michael Jordan’s final All Star MVP performance, the score was 135 to 114. That was competitive for its time. In 2002, when Kobe Bryant won All Star MVP, the score was 135 to 120. Even in 2010, the game ended 141 to 139. Those scores were high, but they still looked like real basketball games.Then things started to change.

In 2014, the score jumped to 163 to 155. Just three years later, in 2017, it exploded to 192 to 182. Defense almost disappeared. Players focused more on highlights than stops. The league noticed.That is why NBA Commissioner Adam Silver approved a format change in 2018. The traditional East vs West setup was replaced with Team LeBron vs Team Stephen and later other captains. The goal was simple. Bring back pride and competition.Nikola Jokic first became an All Star in 2019. Luka Doncic earned his first selection in 2020. By then, scoring had already reached record levels. In 2023, when the league returned to East vs West, the score climbed to 184 to 175, another very high total.So when Kevin Durant says the younger stars are not competing, the timeline matters. The shift toward offense began years before Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic became All Stars.Now the spotlight is on this weekend. If Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic respond with strong effort, Kevin Durant’s comments could fuel the fire. If not, the debate about effort and pride at the NBA All Star Game will only grow louder.