The top 5 NBA stars no longer include any Americans...

This is a yearly tradition where ESPN announces the NBA’s top 10 stars for the upcoming season.

Jokic leads the list, followed by Alexander, who swept MVP, championship, Finals MVP, and scoring leader last season; Doncic and Giannis are third and fourth, with Wembanyama in fifth place.

Ranked six to ten are Edwards, Curry, LeBron, Durant, and Brunson.

Let’s have a conversation about this ranking.

There’s no need to debate the exact order since the list is subjective—everyone has their own personal rankings. As I’ve mentioned before, there’s no official standard, and this list is not issued by the NBA.

What I want to highlight today is:Among the top 5 active NBA stars, there are no Americans.

The top 5 represent the very pinnacle of the pyramid.

This reveals a troubling trend for the NBA:In the wave of globalization, there is a lack of elite domestic superstars.

You will notice that:There is a significant gap in the 90s-born age group, with no MVP-level American stars born after 1995.

Among post-95 players, Tatum is probably the closest American contender (5-time All-NBA), but he has yet to win an MVP and suffered a serious injury in this year’s playoffs.

Compared to their predecessors, they truly fall short.

American stars born in the 80s were indeed outstanding, with typical representatives being:LeBron, Durant, and Curry.

Going further down, players like DeMar DeRozan also belong to this tier, collectively representing an era.

However, every generation eventually ages out.

A current reality is that the NBA MVP award for the last seven consecutive seasons has been dominated entirely by international players.

Giannis (Greece) twice, Jokic (Serbia) three times, Embiid (Cameroon) once, and Alexander (Canada) once.

You can’t argue by saying Embiid has American citizenship—that wouldn’t make sense...

Looking historically, before 2019 only four international players had won MVP; this seven-year streak of dominance highlights the scarcity of top-tier American stars.

NBA, in Chinese, meansNational Basketball Association of AmericaIts full name is “National Basketball Association.”

From a commercial and storytelling perspective, the league certainly hopes domestic stars will emerge.

Americans once referred to the NBA championship as the “world championship,” which caused some discontent among international players.

But the current issue is: in this so-called “world championship” league, none of the top five players are American, which must be hard for them to accept...

Therefore, in recent years, several American players’ performances have been somewhat disappointing for the NBA; here are some names:

Hua Zi, Zion, Morant, and even Tatum, who has won a championship.

Edwards ranks sixth on the latest list but has yet to break through; Tatum lacks top individual honors; among the other two, one struggles with attendance, and the other has disciplinary issues and is nicknamed “Gun King.”

They clearly differ in caliber compared to Jokic, Alexander, and others.

Extending from the NBA to the national team.

Recently, there was an interview about whether Durant will play at the Los Angeles Olympics.

The “Death God” gave his stance: “If I go, I’ll be myself. I don’t want veteran treatment or to sit on the bench all game waiting for a championship.”

Competing in the 2028 Olympics isn’t unrealistic for Durant; at nearly 40, he could aim for his fifth gold medal.

But this also indirectly shows that the top American stars are not strong enough.

From Edwards to Tatum, aren’t they all uncertain about the Paris Olympics?

Especially under the FIBA system, Durant’s presence is even more necessary...

Although it’s no secret that KD loves playing basketball, relying on him so heavily is a bit excessive.