
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 6, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) moves to the basket against forward John Collins (20) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

USA Today via Reuters
Jan 6, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) moves to the basket against forward John Collins (20) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Last month, Shaquille O’Neal posted a reimagined photo of two teams fighting for the championship rings. On one side, along with Shaq, there were the NBA veterans like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. The other team had the current active players in the lineup, including LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid. But another set of teams has been chalked out by 2x NBA champion, Quinn Cook. And they are no less entertaining or note-worthy.
In a 7 game series, Team USA players would take on the Team International players. They are all active players in the league today. Cook invited NBA fans to state their own allegiances for a team.
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Team US vs Team International
The NBA world flared up with his query. According to many, this “shouldn’t even be a debate“. It seemed like there was a crowd favorite.
International and shouldn’t even be a debate
— Otto Hightower (@austinlh21) January 6, 2023
Who the 6th man on the top team cause AD out by game 2
— LET’$ get a WIN (@letsgetawin) January 6, 2023
International pretty easily
— Garfuncle (@GarfuncleCat) January 6, 2023
Yeah, I'm gonna pick the team with Doncic, Giannis, Jokic, Embiid all day lmao. SGA a baller too.
— Abhinav Dutt (@AbhinavDutt9) January 6, 2023
The more I look at it, the more I like the international team. They have size and team USA can not guard Giannis, Embiid and Jokic with that line up.
— Real Creative One (@realcreativeone) January 6, 2023
International for sure. Young talent vs Old School. I think that Embiid and Jokic are two of the scariest big men currently in the game and Shai is becoming a superstar. Lula and Giannis will just go right through defences easily. I say it will be a close series. 6 Games.
— Robert Jr. Larice (@RobLariceJr) January 7, 2023
International without a doubt! It ain't even close.
— Luka⁷⁷ updates 🇸🇮 (@LukaUpdates) January 6, 2023
Is it crazy that I live in Texas, but since I’m a Mavs fan, I always root for team international?
— Road to 66-16 Mavs (@BasketnutsPod) January 6, 2023
The US team consists of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Davis. The International team consisted of Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid.
Most of the fans sided with the International team. The players have been phenomenal this season. With individual stats through the roof, making history comes second nature to them.
What does Luka Doncic’s novel team have over LeBron James and his team?
Luka Doncic has been on a shooting spree this whole season. Nikola Jokic is the top contender for the MVP award for the third time in a row. According to Yahoo Sports, guarding SGA has proved to be a difficult task. He has also “mesmerized” even his opponents with “footwork, flash, and fantastic finishes“. The Greek Freak has become consistently better, taking his team forward. As is also the case for Joel Embiid, who always lets the ball talk. The International team is also relatively a young team.
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Being one of the oldest players in the league today, LeBron James at 38, is still the oldest even in this matchup. Even though he is the reigning GOAT, it has been noted that Father Time may be catching up with him.

USA Today via Reuters
Jan 6, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) controls the ball against Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The fans were also quick to note that the inclusion of Anthony Davis may not fare well for team USA. His injury-prone history may prove to be a setback.
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Watch This Story: Luka Doncic Joins LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Other NBA Legends in Historic List After Another 50-Point Performance
Whose team would you pick? Team US or International?
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