With Lebron James’ career soon coming to an end, it’s time once again for the NBA to find the next face of their league. Lebron joined the NBA in 2003 and has taken over since, dominating the sport of basketball for the past two decades. Although it is unknown when Lebron will officially retire, it’s fair to say that his time in the NBA is coming up.
With that being said, the NBA will likely have to find someone to carry their brand such as Lebron did. There are multiple players that the league can go with, however, there is one player that seems most deserving of that throne.
Face of the NBA: Is it Necessary
The most likely thought that may come around from this topic is whether a face of the NBA is even needed. It can be argued that there have been times in different eras when there wasn’t necessarily a face of the NBA. However, that’s simply not the case, as ever since Wilt Chamberlain came into the NBA, there has always been a face of the league.
Wilt entered the league in 1959 and played until 1973. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joined the NBA just three years before Wilt’s retirement and played until 1989. In 1984, Michael Jordan came into the NBA and played until 2003, right enough time to pass the torch off to Lebron James.
It could be argued that players such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Kobe Bryant had short stints where they were the faces of the NBA, but those were only short periods of time where the league was waiting for a top prospect to blemish into a superstar. For the cases of Bird and Magic, that would have been Michael Jordan, and for Kobe Bryant, that was Lebron James.
The point being is that the NBA has always had a face of the NBA, and then put surrounding pieces alongside that name to make the league to marketable. It’s something that allows for the league to grow in popularity and is needed for the sport.
Potential Candidates
There are many players the NBA could market as the next face of the league. It’s likely that this player would be someone aged 25 or under, and have a flashy playstyle.
The first name that might come up in that sense would be Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant. Whilst Ja definitely has a personality and is arguably the flashiest player in the NBA right now, his off-court decisions could prevent the NBA from wanting to market him highly.
Another name that comes to mind is Luka Doncic. However, as good as Luka is, his playstyle and off-court personality could be considered somewhat boring. Luka plays a very fundamental game, which although it does work for him, it might not work for the NBA in terms of marketing.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is another option that could be turned into the face of the NBA. Shai definitely meets the flashy movset that the NBA is looking at while also being one of the best scorers in the NBA. However, Shai also has a really calm personality, and looking at prior top stars in the league, that’s not the case for them.
Finally, someone who the NBA might take a look at in terms of making him the most marketable player in the league is Victor Wembanyama. Wemby has all the attributes that the NBA is looking for, he has a marketable attribute with his height, and he has a great playstyle that utilizes that size. However, there is someone who might have a better than him at this point in their careers.
Who Should Be the New Face of the NBA?
Although there are many potential candidates that can become the face of the NBA, none of them stand out more at this point than Anthony Edwards. Edwards has had a great run in the playoffs, as he and the Timberwolves beat Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in just 5 games. In 3 of those games, Ant put up over 30 points and put up 40 in the elimination game.
Ant definitely has a marketable playstyle that comes with physicality and flashiness. He plays aggressively and is always in charge. He also has the exact personality the NBA is looking for. He’s someone who plays the game hard and has a serious marketability aspect in terms of charisma. His personality matches that of guys like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
He seems like the exact guy the NBA can mold into the face of the league. His playstyle, charisma, and personality are exactly what’s needed to be the top guy in the NBA, and it seems like he could be the one to take the keys from Lebron.
About The Author
Shayan Malik has always been an avid fan of sports. He is currently studying sports communication, hoping to take his sports knowledge to the next level. He enjoys writing about combat sports such as MMA, pro Wrestling, and Boxing.
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