The NBA’s global rise over the past decade has been clear and steady. International players have moved from supporting roles to leading the league’s biggest conversations. Stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic now define the modern era, winning the awards that once felt out of reach. With seven straight MVPs and multiple Defensive Player of the Year honors going to non-American players, the shift no longer feels temporary, but is the quality improving?

While international players are bringing in vast viewership, unique skill sets, and have also changed the game, there have been some downsides to this cultural shift. Recently, Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett called out the international player for introducing flopping in the NBA.

“International guys have brought a bunch of flopping to the game,” Garnett said in the recent episode of his podcast, ‘KG Certified’, in the company of Paul Pierce.

“I can’t f—–g stand it. Every other f—–g up and down, they’re saying something to the ref. We got all this flopping and s—, man. We weren’t doing all that s— before, bro. I get it, it’s been some greatness, but been some weirdness that we’ve taken from them. I hate that narrative, ‘since international players start younger’. So what? They’re not putting out a better product.”

Mind you, this league was once globalized thanks to icons like Michael Jordan, who dominated the league, left, and came back only to conquer again, and Garnett’s point might just be hinting at that way.

But flopping has been one of the major problems in the NBA, and in recent years, several international players have found ways to use this to their advantage. While KG didn’t name any player directly, the indication is towards the likes of Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and more recently, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as they get away with almost everything.

Overall, this debate from KG acts as an excellent buildup to the upcoming NBA All-Star games, where the international players will team up against the top American stars.

Kevin Garnett calls out international stars like Jokic and Doncic for their defensive contribution

The former Boston Celtics star continues his scrutiny of the international players, as he believes that they have done more harm to the NBA than good. After blaming them for introducing flopping in the league, he also calls them out for only being crafty scorers and questions their ability to play defense and guard players one-on-one.

While this logic doesn’t suit every international superstar here, as the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert have established themselves as stellar forces in defense. Both of them have won the Defensive Player of the Year award five times among themselves, with Gobert alone bagging four DPOY awards. However, KG here calls out Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, specifically for their lack of defensive contribution.

“You line any of them m————s up on one on one. Half of them can’t guard. It’s two sides to the ball,” KG added. “Americans will destroy any m————s you line up.”

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KG even argued with Paul Pierce, who was in favor of the international players bringing quality to the NBA. He also reasoned how this era is different from their era, where defense doesn’t take precedence and defensive principles aren’t followed by the book.

This theory of KG will be put to the test at the NBA All-Star games, where Team World, comprising International superstars like Jokic, Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, will lock horns against the top stars of America in a three-team round-robin format from February 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.