One game, U.S. vs. the world: Who ya got?

American-born players without question lead the world in NBA talent, but for the first time in history, the five best international players might very well beat their U.S. counterparts.

First, let’s look at who would be on the court for the U.S. should this hypothetical scenario take place – and yes, which players make up this team would likely be up for debate, but for the sake of this argument, here is our starting five and their current stats:

Lebron James: 25ppg, 7.8apg, 7.9rpg

Steph Curry: 31.5ppg, 5.7apg, 5.6rpg

Kawhi Leonard: 25.3ppg, 5.1apg, 6.6rpg

Kevin Durant: 28.3ppg, 5.2apg, 6.9rpg

James Harden: 25.2ppg, 10.9apg, 8rpg

Sure, Anthony Davis has an argument to be on this team, as do a few other players. But not accounting for position, this would be a formidable U.S. squad.

Next, let’s check out the international team:

Luka Doncic: 28.5ppg, 8.9apg, 8.1rpg

Joel Embiid: 29ppg, 3apg, 10.8rpg

Giannis Antetokounmpo: 28.5ppg, 5.9apg, 11.1rpg

Nikola Jokic: 26.3ppg, 8.5apg, 10.9rpg

Jamal Murray: 21.2ppg, 4.8apg, 4rpg

Murray may be a stretch, especially considering someone like Nikola Vucevic, who is averaging a double-double with 23.8ppg and 11.5rpg.

But let’s just accept that we have at least one Canadian on the international team and a player who can turn it on when it really matters having played under pressure.

Let’s also take these players for who they are right now and not what they have been historically (injuries notwithstanding).

Lebron James, for example, is someone many consider to the best player of all time (cue the groans from Michael Jordan fans), but there are some who feel his is on the decline.

.@maxkellerman believes we are seeing the decline of LeBron James.

"He's still the best player in the world? Are we still sure about that?" pic.twitter.com/gE8BN428q8
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 5, 2021