As we’re well into the twilight of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry’s careers, we look to the future. For some time now there’s been a very valid question of who will become the new face of the NBA. The NBA went through such a transition when Michael Jordan retired for a second time in 1998. During that period between then and his return in 2001, the NBA spotlighted the likes of Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson. There wasn’t solely one face. When Jordan returned to basketball, to me it served to buy the league some more time. Although we were in the middle of the primes of the aforementioned players, there still wasn’t a dominating entity.
It just so happens that upon Jordan’s final retirement in 2003, that we learned of a superstar talent out of high school named LeBron James. He was getting ready to be drafted. He headlined a lauded class that included fellow Hall of Famers Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony for starters. So once Jordan retired, we saw a league where for a period of time, Kobe Bryant was the standard of excellence. But James continued to chip away, until he finally won his first NBA championship in 2012. As he is beginning to wind down his 22 year career, we’re in familiar territory. There are a handful of NBA superstars who are equipped to take the mantle. The more important question is who wants it?
As international as the the game become, many of the league’s superstars were born overseas. So we can look at the likes of a Luka Doncic, for instance. His game is face of the league worthy. He’s a triple double threat on a nightly basis. He has underrated handles and finishing ability. He also has mastered a perimeter fade-away. However, he doesn’t seem to be a guy who wants the commercial responsibility of being the face of the NBA. Nikola Jokic of Serbia is a three-time league MVP. For what it’s worth, the league has gone as far as to nickname him “The Joker,” even though he rarely flexes any comedic chops. That’s all in the name of marketing.
This does bring us to two players who I believe would embrace the moniker of “face of the league.” Anthony Edwards is a superstar guard with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has a game that lends itself to being a superstar. Edwards is explosive. He plays with force and gives you the trash talk and confidence to back it up. His game is as captivating as it is exciting. It’s extremely highlight friendly. Not to be outdone by the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s another international superstar. Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander currently plays on a team with the best record in the NBA. He leads the league in scoring currently at 32.5 points per game. He is also a favorite to take home the league’s MVP honors.
It’s those two fellas who will have their eyes on one another to become the premier star in the NBA. As for us fans, we’re in for a time because the greatness of their games are only rivaled by their competitive fervor. It makes you truly believe that the league is in good hands. And by the time our current crop of yesteryear’s superstars hang it up, it will be.
