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As one era fades, another quickly arises. These are the leaders of the new school.
By Spencer Galloway | April 12th, 2024
TYB Sports Illustration
For as long as I can seemingly remember, LeBron James has been the undisputed face of the NBA. For some of that stretch, he was hated, through other stretches, beloved. Regardless, no matter how one felt about "The Chosen One", there was no denying his popularity and what he meant to the league at any given moment. While there was once a time when I thought it would be impossible for LeBron to be active in the league and not be the unanimous best player in the world, that time has arrived and we may be without The King sooner than we think. Many seem to think that the NBA is going to struggle greatly when he finally hangs 'em up, however, I am here to put those nerves at ease. Or at least attempt to. There is plenty of fantastic young talent in the league today, and it's important that we highlight such talent as we prepare for numerous legendary NBA careers to fade into retirement.
I went into this exercise with no real criteria, however, I did only end up choosing players in their age 25 season or younger. That is the one bummer for the likes of first-ballot hall of famers including Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and others who fall in between eras. They are all currently playing out their primes in the shadows of names such as James, Curry, and Durant. Operating under the assumption that each of those three play for at least another few years, Jokic, Antetokounmpo, and Embiid could all be playing themselves into another stage of their careers by that point. Timing is key here, you have to really make your mark as those who came before you leave the game behind. All that being said, we could just as well be at the beginning of an 8+ year Nuggets dynasty that proves everything said here irrelevant with Jokic declaring himself the frightening overlord of the NBA. It's all on the table, folks.
Anthony Edwards, 22
Minnesota Timberwolves
After torching the Washington Wizards with a brilliant 50-point performance in his home building, with none other than THE 50-Cent in attendance, Ant-Man starts the first-ever Face of the League (FOTL) rankings as our top-ranked candidate. This is not the entirety of his case, rather, just where it begins. To go along with cooking NBA defenses on a nightly basis, Edwards is one of the younger candidates on this list. Despite his youth, he has a popular signature shoe with one of the better ad campaigns running alongside it, he's been in an Adam Sandler movie (a good one too!) and is most importantly a top-15 player in the league today.
Ant is one of eight players to average at least 26 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds per game this season. He is the best player on a Wolves team that could well end up with the one-seed. He is the youngest player to have received votes in ESPN's most recent NBA MVP straw poll, where he ranked seventh. He may well be the reason that Glen Taylor, owner of the T-Wolves, is now getting cold feet about selling the team to Alex Rodriguez for such a bargain. The future is bright for Anthony Edwards and Minnesota, and we all stand to benefit.
Edwards is an iron man and is outspoken against the NBA's all-too-popular trend of sitting out games while healthy. This being the first season that the NBA has stood up against this trend, with their strict 65 games played policy for players to be eligible for awards, Edwards is one of a few who stand to benefit most. Ant has played in at least 72 games in each of his first four seasons and will enter this upcoming playoff stretch healthy. Despite being towards the top of the standings, you'd be hard-pressed to find many folks who are picking the Wolves to come out of a stacked western conference. If however, Ant-Man can lead them past the reigning NBA champs and into their first-ever finals appearance, Edwards can expect to firmly hold his position amongst his peers headed into next year's campaign.
Victor Wembanyama, 20
San Antonio Spurs
Who knew the solar eclipse was put on by Nike just to promote Wemby's new logo? Jokes (and conspiracies) aside, Wembanyama, much like the eclipse, is seemingly out of this world. If Porzingis was the first unicorn, then Victor cannot be referred to as anything less than an alien. Wembanyama joins the Spurs storied franchise not as their first Frenchman in franchise history, however, he is the first to look and play the way he does. Towering over some of the tallest members of the league, Wemby makes routine plays look extra-terrestrial. His 7'4" frame should have him playing a much slower, back-to-the-basket style that would be much more suited for the way basketball was played before the Gen Z superstar was ever born. Instead, he has a growing compilation of highlight handles and devastating dagger threes that define his very modern and one-of-a-kind archetype.
Wembanyama has a number of things going for him to be the face of the league. Highlight reels, charming pressers, a presumable signature shoe with Nike on the way, and playing for one of the league's most recognizable franchises. However, much like his Balkan counterpart listed later on, there is one thing that has held back players such as Wembanyama. His birthplace. When you think of the league and its respective eras, they can all be defined by one or two megastars. From Bird and Magic to Michael Jordan, to Kobe, LeBron, and Curry, they all share the fact that they are American. However, the game has never seen more international superstar talent than it does today. The first four players in the aforementioned NBA MVP straw poll are all international players. It's not until you get to Jayson Tatum at No. 5 that you find the first American-born player. If an international player were to ever be the league's ace, Wembanyama may just have the best case of anyone. He can hope to further that development by coming home with at least two awards this spring. We know very well he has at least one.
Luka Doncic, 25
Dallas Mavericks
Since the All-Star break, the Mavericks have the third-best record across the NBA. If you've been paying much attention this year, you may be able to guess which two teams they are behind during that stretch. Needless to say, Luka's Mavs have been nothing short of impressive since incorporating their trade deadline acquisitions, one of which Luka had been asking for quite some time. Likely to finish second in MVP-voting this year, Doncic is the face behind some of the gaudiest stat lines you will see on any given night. He has locked up the scoring title this season, averaging a daunting 33.9 points per game. Perhaps the most memorable moment of his season, and one that certainly helped his scoring title odds, was when he embarrassed not only those who play for the Atlanta Hawks but those in attendance at State Farm Arena the night he scored 73 points in the Mavs thrilling road win. (Really, how was this game so close?)
Luka seemingly has no holes in his offensive game and has been terrifying NBA defenses since he first stepped foot onto an NBA floor. However, after missing the playoffs entirely last season, and only making it out of the first round once, winning is what can ultimately catapult Doncic into the NBA's most coveted role. We know that fair or not, the popular media will come looking for Luka in the most aggressive manner if he comes up short of their sky-high expectations. It comes with the territory however, and if you can exceed these expectations, it has proven to work out quite well for being the poster boy of the league.
Jayson Tatum, 19?
Boston Celtics
Despite the attempt at humor, Jayson Tatum is well beyond his rookie year and is currently playing out his age-25 season as the best player on the only 60-win team in the league this year. He is the best Celtics player since Paul Pierce, and I really struggled to not just say since Larry Bird. While he may finish no higher than fifth in MVP voting this year, he is likely to land on his third consecutive All-NBA First Team, while averaging 27 points, eight rebounds, and five assists per contest. Factor in his high-level defensive play and Tatum is near the top of the league when it comes to two-way superstars.
Aside from stat sheets though, Tatum means so much more to this Celtics team when you consider the strides he has made in his leadership and asserting himself in a locker room that saw nine-year vet Marcus Smart leave this past offseason. Leading a team with the fourth-highest net rating of all time is no joke. However, with great regular season performance comes legacy-defining playoff expectations. While currently fourth in this ranking, Tatum undoubtedly stands to gain the most by winning a championship this summer. I can assure you he has a one-way trip to the league throne if that indeed happens.
The best case that I can point to that he will indeed shine through in this year's playoffs lies inside of his historic legacy-saving fourth quarter against last year's 76ers squad, where he followed up a 16-point fourth quarter with an NBA record 51 points in game seven to send Boston to the conference finals.
To go along with the on-court success, Jayson has the fact that he plays for one of the most recognizable brands in all of sports. He has the already adorably famous "Deuce" Tatum, his son, attached to his hip while walking in and out of the locker room on a nightly basis (the Riley Curry effect). He is a trouble-free walking bucket who plays deep into the postseason each and every year, and most likely will for as long as he has Brad Stevens manning the ship in the Celtics' front office. This postseason will tell us a lot of this Celtics team as well as Tatum, in their first year as title favorites.
A list is only as good as its honorable mentions, or so they say. Okay, nobody says that, but I had to find a way to acknowledge some other incredible talent.
Honorable Mentions:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 25 - Oklahoma City Thunder
Jalen Brunson, 27 - New York Knicks
Zion Williamson, 23 - New Orleans Pelicans