When Victor Wembanyama was drafted No. 1 overall in 2023, the Frenchman was seen as a generational talent, one to usher in a new era of NBA superstars. The 7'4" San Antonio Spurs center lived up to all expectations by winning the Rookie of the Year award despite playing for one of the worst teams in the association.
With some striking rookie performances, Wemby took the NBA by storm and has many convinced that he is destined to take the torch. According to former NBA guard Avery Johnson, the 20-year-old and a few other young talents are in prime position to take over the mantle as superstars of yesteryear — LeBron James , Steph Curry , and Kevin Durant — approach the end of their careers.
"Yeah, I really do," Johnson said when asked if the future of the league is in good hands. "When you talk about Victor Wembanyama, that guy is unreal. You know, he's walking into a different situation. Tim Duncan: When he walked into an older team, you know, I was in my 30s, and David [Robinson] was in his 30s. You know we had [Spurs players] Mario Elie and Sean Elliot, so Tim Duncan was still going to be great.
Taking over
From 2012 to 2016, the NBA MVP award was practically a three-man show. James (2), Curry (2), and Durant (1) took home the award. These superstars dominated this era and have also won a combined eight championships this decade.
But since 2016, things have started to mix up. Led by winners of a new generation like Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the race began to diversify. In the past few years, in particular, some of the younger stars have been pushing each other for that coveted MVP award.
This past season, Jokic won the MVP once again, outpacing a field of young guns that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , who finished as the runner-up, Luka Doncic in third place, Antetokounmpo in fourth place, and Jayson Tatum rounding out the top five.
Doncic had a standout season, not just because of his MVP race but because he finished as the NBA's leading scorer — a first in the Mavericks' history. The Slovenian averaged 33.9 ppg, nearly four points ahead of the next closest scorer, Antetokounmpo, and Gilgeous-Alexander wasn't far behind either.
Meanwhile, the Celtics made their first NBA Finals appearance since 2008. They denied Doncic an NBA championship, thanks to the duo of Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum led the charge as the team's best player during the regular season, while Brown shined bright enough to earn the Finals MVP.
With such close-knit competitions, Johnson believes the league has been passed on to the right generation.
"Luka Doncic, man, Luka Doncic... you can say what you want; that guy is a problem," he added. "Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who's right up the road in Oklahoma City, Jayson Tatum... put some respect on his name, Jaylen Brown. We have some guys that are future stars, and I believe this next draft with Cooper Flagg coming out in the 2025 draft... So I think the NBA is in good shape."
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The next generation
Johnson, a one-time NBA champion, mentioned Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, who has yet to make it into the NBA. Still, from what he has displayed so far, the prospect can handle himself in the big league.
Ranked No. 1 overall, Flagg was the only college player on the USA Basketball Select Team that faced off against Team USA's Olympic men's basketball team before they jetted out for other test games.
During a scrimmage, Flagg showcased what makes him special. The star-studded Team USA barely escaped with a 74-73 win over the Select Team, and his showcase generated quite the reaction , even from retired NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony.
Before the NBA meets Flagg, it has numerous 25-and-under stars aiming to help evolve the game. The league will lose two of its biggest draws when James and Curry retire. But with the revolutionary talent on the way, the next 10 years promise to be as special as ever.
Related: The Lakers reportedly plan to replace LeBron James with Luka Doncic: "They have their sights set for Luka in the future"
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