Who Will Be The Next Face Of The NBA?

A new era is unfolding in the NBA before our eyes. Stars who have dominated the league for decades are now entering the final stages of their careers.

The 2024 Paris Olympics showcased three generational basketball players who were the faces of the 2010s in the NBA. Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant combined for 19 Finals appearances between them, with only one NBA Finals being played in the 2010s without any of the three involved.

The post-LeBron era in the NBA will be interesting because he has been bounding up and down the lane like a freight train for a quarter century. James has been the face of basketball since he was deemed “The Chosen One” by Sports Illustrated when he was just a junior in high school at St Vincent St Mary’s High School in Akron, Ohio.

From Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant, to LeBron, the NBA has been in great hands the last 40 years since Jordan was drafted in ’84. So far in the first half of the 2020s, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets have split time holding the title of best players in the world. Both are still just 29 years old and have plenty of runway ahead of each of them. Could it be somebody from the next class of superstars who will become the next face of the league?

Victor Wembanyama - San Antonio Spurs

Age: 20

Accolades: 2023-24 Rookie of the Year, All-Defensive First Team (2024)

Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs has the best chance to be the next face of the league, mainly because he is a one-of-kind athlete that we haven’t seen the likes of before. One of the most hyped rookies since LeBron, Wemby gave a sneak peek of what he could potentially transform into in the future during his rookie season. He exceeded expectations for his rookie year and will only get better from here on out as the game slows down for him.

The 2023-24 season was merely a coming-out party for Wembanyama. After a slow first couple of months, he led his team on a torrid stretch to finish the season. Following the All-Star break in February, Wemby averaged 23.5 points, 12 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.5 steals, and 4.5 blocks per game.

His fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert took home Defensive Player of the Year last season, but the award may as well have Wembanyama’s name engraved on it for the next 10 seasons. He led the NBA in blocks with 254 last season, 64 ahead of the second place Chet Holmgren.

Wemby has a game-wrecking ability on defense due to his lanky, 7'4" frame. Players driving to the hoop only to see him standing before them often would choose to kick the ball back out to the perimeter. Trying to get a layup anywhere near the rim is a risk when

Wembanyama is lurking. He truly will be a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end once he is at the apex of his powers.

Wemby has the potential to grow at an exponential rate, dominating the league, and could be All-NBA as soon as next season. It is now on the Spurs to surround Wembanyama with the right mix of young talent to grow alongside him, but also veterans to help him win right now.

It truly feels like we are watching one of the greats grow right before our eyes, and Wembanyama doesn’t seem to be afraid of the hype either. After losing the Gold medal game to the USA during the Paris Olympics, he had a message for future opponents of his.

"I’m learning, and I’m worried for the opponents in a couple of years," said Wembanyama.

Jayson Tatum - Boston Celtics

Age: 26

Accolades: NBA Champion (2024), 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA First Team (2022-2024), All-NBA Third Team (2020), All-Rookie First Team (2018)

Jayson Tatum entered the NBA in 2017 as a wide-eyed rookie, but it didn’t take long for him to get his feet wet. After an injury to Gordon Hayward in the opening minutes of the 2017-18 season, Tatum and Jaylen Brown were forced further up the food chain. A rookie Tatum, second-year Jaylen Brown, and veteran Al Horford came within one win of an NBA Finals berth, falling to LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and the Cavaliers.

Since he entered the league in 2017, Tatum has grown as a player each year. In his third NBA season, Tatum made his first All-Star game. He made a superstar leap following that announcement in January, and he would go on a scorching tear in March before the league was shut down due to COVID in 2020. When the season resumed in the Bubble, Tatum led his team back to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Jayson Tatum at the age of 26 is already one of the best postseason performers in Celtics history, and that’s saying a lot. Tatum has 30 career playoff games scoring 30+ points for Boston, second place to Larry Bird (43), and tied with John Havlicek. Since entering the league, he has the most playoff wins and total points scored in the postseason.

Tatum has also scored the most points in NBA playoff history for a player under 27 years old, ahead of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. The two-way impact that Tatum has on his team has helped turn them into a dominant force in the league in recent years.

Tatum, the only American player to make the All-NBA First Team each of the last three seasons, is at the forefront of the NBA playoffs year in and year out. Only twice has he not advanced to the Conference Finals! That type of success for a player who is not even 27 is incredible. Year in and year out, Tatum and the Celtics are making deep playoff runs when viewership is at its highest.

Tatum plays for one of the most historic franchises in sports, the Boston Celtics. He is a top athlete for Jordan Brand, already on his third signature shoe with many more to come, and the 2K cover athlete this year.

Jayson Tatum is already a Boston and New England legend, as fans will pledge allegiance to him and his fellow Celtics for delivering that elusive 18th Banner to Boston. No. 0 jerseys are spotted in every city the Celtics travel to, as Tatum's was the third top-selling jersey in the NBA this past season.

While he has not captured an MVP award, and possibly won’t considering the strength of the roster around him, the facts are that Tatum is a perennial top-10 player who is still just reaching the beginning of his prime. For as many years as fans have been watching him in the playoffs, he also has so much runway still ahead of him. He wants to be one of the all-time greats and make the most out of his time in the league. Jayson Tatum will surely be a name fans will be hearing quite often over the next decade.

Luka Dončić - Dallas Mavericks

Age: 25

Accolades: 5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA First Team (2020-2024), 2018-19 Rookie of the Year, EuroLeague MVP (2018), EuroLeague Champion (2018)

Luka Dončić has been an offensive force since the moment he entered the NBA. A year before being drafted by the Dallas Mavericks, Luka was the MVP of the EuroLeague at just 18 years of age. Since making the move to the NBA during the 2018-19 season, Dončić has made the All-NBA First Team every year he’s been in the league besides his rookie year.

Luka has led his Dallas Mavericks to the playoffs every year since 2020 and has been a staggering force in the postseason. In 50 career playoff games, Dončić has averaged 30.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 8 assists. Nobody else in NBA history besides Michael Jordan (33.4) has averaged more points in the playoffs than Dončić.

One of the most skilled scorers in the game today, Dončić can beat his defender in a myriad of ways offensively. He is a three-level scorer who has just about every offensive shot imaginable in his toolbag. One of his nicknames, “Luka Magic” is fitting as he leaves fans wondering how he possibly made one of his circus shots or somehow snuck a pass to a teammate through the tightest window imaginable.

Dončić’s prowess as both a scorer and facilitator makes him one of the most devastating offensive forces in the sport today. Standing at 6’7”, he is well above the size of the average point guard in the NBA. Dončić uses that height advantage to be able to see the whole floor, and he is capable of whipping cross-court passes to a teammate in a heartbeat.

Luka is only 25 years old and will surely be a force in the NBA for years to come. He is a perennial pre-season favorite for MVP but has yet to capture the award, despite coming in third place a season ago. Dončić will be at the forefront of basketball discourse over the next decade because he is one of the youngest and most electrifying players in the league.

Anthony Edwards - Minnesota Timberwolves

Age: 22

Accolades: 2x All-Star, All-NBA 2nd Team (2024), All-Rookie 1st Team (2021),

Anthony Edwards is just 22, and has shown flashes of what is to come as he further enters his prime years. He has taken a leap the last two seasons, making the All-Star team, as well as All-NBA second team. His Minnesota Timberwolves have ascended beside him as he has emerged as a star in the NBA.

Edwards is a multidimensional scorer and the type of athlete who will have fans regretting taking their eyes off the TV for just a split second. He has an explosive first step and blows by defenders on the perimeter before taking off for an aerial assault on the rim.

He has restored excitement to a Timberwolves franchise that hadn’t seen the playoffs since league MVP Kevin Garnett led them to the West Finals in 2004. Minnesota locals and fans across the league have embraced Edwards for his game-breaking ability, but also his charismatic nature and enthusiasm. Any time the camera is rolling and on the Ant-Man, it just feels like something exciting could be in store.

Edwards has shown leaps and bounds of growth as the go-to man on a team with championship aspirations. Veteran big man Karl Anthony-Towns, also a former number-one pick like Edwards, has seen the potential of his budding teammate and allowed him the space to grow into his star role.

Edwards' scoring has increased to 25 points per game over the last two seasons as he has made the ascent to an All-NBA caliber player. He has shown to be a playoff riser as well, averaging just under 28 points per game in his postseason career so far.

Winning is the next step for Edwards, and if he can bring Minnesota to the promised land, he will be loved in that city forever. As his game grows and evolves, so too will his national exposure and stardom as one of the up-and-coming stars of the future in the NBA.