The NHL replaced the All-Star Game with an international tournament this year
Both the NBA and NHL were on their respective All-Star breaks this month, but for once, hockey absolutely trampled basketball.
That's because the NHL opted for their new "4 Nations Face-Off," which resulted in the most-watched non-Stanley Cup games since 2019.
Meanwhile, the NBA skills competition was the least-watched ever, and the game itself had the second-fewest viewers of all time.
Steph Curry and LeBron James react in the second half against France in the men's basketball gold medal game. (Rob Schumacher-USA Tod Sports)
The success of the 4 Nations tournament, which certainly was benefited by politics between the United States and Canada, has led to conversation about whether the NBA could follow suit.
However, Stephen A. Smith said on Friday that American NBA players would not be interested, because they are afraid of the outcome.
"Team USA fears they'd get their a-- kicked by those international players. I’m going to say it on national television: the international players will bust their living behinds. Yes they would," Smith said on "First Take" Friday. "Not just because their skillset is on par with them, but because they care, and they're compelled by their audience from their homelands more so than (the Americans)."
Kevin Durant, #7 of the USA Men's National Team, looks on during the USA Men's National Team practice at Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan on July 25, 2024, in Paris, France. (Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
CANADIAN ANTHEM SINGER AT 4 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP CHANGES LYRICS IN POLITICAL JAB TOWARD TRUMP
That is quite the take, as the Americans have won eight of the last nine Olympic gold medals - but, it is no secret that the rest of the world is catching up to the United States.
Perhaps no one individual country could overtake the United States' best, but if there were, say, a Ryder Cup-styled team full of European players on one roster, then it could be a different story. That would put guys like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antentokoumpo, Luka Doncic, and Victor Wembanyama all on one team.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks, in action against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at United Center on February 16, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Canada defeated USA in overtime on Thursday in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship, with Connor McDavid netting the golden goal. Canada moved to 14-4-1 against the Americans all-time in best-on-best format, with three of those wins including two Gold Medal victories and 2014 Olympic semifinal matchup.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
