USA NBA stars don't want international All-Star break because 'they'd get their a-- kicked:' Stephen A. Smith

Meanwhile, the NBA skills competition was the least-watched ever, and the game itself had the second-fewest viewers of all time.

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)."

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.

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.