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Thanks to TikTok, younger generations have officially crowned “ aura ” as the successor to the all but outdated “ swag ” and “ sauce ” that dominated the 2010s — “ motion ” gets an honorable mention alongside aura, of course.
Alright, when you put it that way, it does sound a little bit cringe, but the idea has some actual merit to it — believe it or not, aura is actually an official metric for measuring how good a player is, surpassing “ that boy nice ” as the former golden standard ( kidding…kind of. )
So, Who Is In The NBA’s “All Aura” Starting Five?
By now, you’ve likely heard the Jayson Tatum haters refer to him as “ Kyle Kuzma with aura, ” but unfortunately, he didn’t make the cut. Sorry, JT. Hopefully, the $315M payday can console you.
Without further delay, let’s get into it.
Point Guard — Shai Gilegeous-Alexander
Look, let’s be real — who were you expecting? SGA is arguably the NBA’s Mr. Aura himself; fans literally await his next Instagram post caption like a Drake drop; he posts more fit pics than prime Odell Beckham Jr., and at the end of the day, who else could replicate the “My whole life is consistent” mean mug interview? Right.
Meanwhile, being one of the most effective scorers in the league on one of the youngest, most talented teams in the league doesn’t hurt either. Not to mention, he’s the centerpiece of OKC’s defiantly successful trade with the Clippers, as PG13 just left for Philly.
Shooting Guard — Jaylen Brown
“ I don’t have a family; I’m single, so I’ve been watching a lot of Harry Potter. ” Come on, it doesn’t get more nonchalant than this. Jaylen Brown is the NBA’s unproblematic, successful, highly-paid intellectual on one of the league’s most tenured franchises that also just happened to win a title.
Even when the Pacers center Myles Turner tried to get tough with him, JB clapped back during an interview with the calmest and cordial yet hurtful diss ever, saying, “ Myles is a good kid. Throughout the series, he loses control of his body a little bit...I was just letting him know, 'Just watch it.'.. He feels like he's at home, his family is watching. His girl is probably watching and he had to do something. "
Icing on the 4-0 sweep cake.
Small Forward — Paul George
This may be the most purely on-court-based selection here. Owner of the NBA social media world’s smoothest trend, PG13 is pretty much known for his pristine, flowy, seamless game on the floor that not many other players of his size have ever ( or will ever ) be able to replicate.
Despite being called out for his lack of loyalty or deep playoff success, we have to admit that PG’s aura is ultimately among the best in the league. A 6’8 forward with guard skills, a game that plugs and plays smoothly with almost any offense, and an even-keeled off-court demeanor to match — this one was a lock.
Power Forward — Victor Wembanyama
Is he a power forward? Sometimes, although even at 7’4, he could arguably pay every position on the court and probably even make up a couple of new ones, too.
VW makes the list as a not-so-obvious but also overt selection here because of not only his unique game but also his personality. The guy has a nighttime routine of bed at 9 p.m. and reading that could rival SGA’s “ My whole life is consistent ” and enough enigmatic interview questions to render him the NBA’s de facto philosopher at age 20.
Center — Nikola Jokic
You probably wouldn’t have guessed this one, but think about it a little harder, and it makes sense. Fans often find a laissez-faire, nonchalant attitude to be annoying, indicating a lack of formidability, but when that attitude comes with MVPs, triple-doubles, and championships, there isn’t much you can say.
Even when he was drafted, Jokic was unmoved, prioritizing sleep over his new career. “ My brother had celebrations and champagne, and he called to tell me. I picked up the phone, but I really wasn’t listening. I just told him, ‘Come on, man, I’m sleeping.’ Then I hung up. So I heard the next morning. ” And that’s fair — how can you be good at your job without proper rest?
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