Why the "Face of the NBA" Debate is Bigger Than Basketball

Part I: Breaking down the candidates who are being primed to pick up the mantle

No matter how frequently it gets talked about, LeBron James’ 20th year in the National Basketball Association has been nothing short of greatness. He has been hooping at the highest level for well over two decades and his stats aren’t diminishing. If anything, he’s finding ways to perform just as well in different roles.

All good things, as they say. To think, he has been a commanding figure in the League since I was in the fourth grade, and his run is just finally coming to its winter stage. Which leaves fans, players, and pundits of the NBA pondering one thing—who will be the next Face of the League?

I’d consider myself a tier 2 casual fan of basketball. I can name several players on each team, save the marquee stars. However, as someone with a degree in creative writing, I really pay attention to the storylines. I say all of that to say, I’m by no means an authority on basketball, so I welcome the idea of me being wrong (but I did my homework on pretty much all of this).

Choosing the next Face

Winning the most championships doesn’t automatically make you the face, but it is strong evidence to back up the claim. MJ played 15 seasons, of which he won six chips in two seperate 3-peats runs. Bron has been to 10 NBA Finals series—eight of which were consecutive years—and managed to win four. Kobe Bryant is a five-time Champion, two-time Finals MVP, and one-time regular season MVP (I’m not sure why recent discourse leaves him out of GOAT conversations, but he was viewed as such during his tenure, no question).

However, there have been several faces of the NBA that played with/against each other. Bird, Magic, Mike, Kobe, Bron, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant, of course. There were “lesser” (not inferior) faces who represented the League on and off the court that maybe didn’t have as many notches under their belt—chief among them being Allen Iverson.

While it’s true there were many eras with multiple “Face of the League” options, at some point, the fans ultimately choose who gets propped up as The One. So what are the qualities of the face of the League? Of course, it has to be someone who can handle being a global ambassador and spokesperson for the NBA. A person who the fans can turn to if they are looking to see quality athleticism.

By my estimation, there are nine players who fit the bill.

The Candidates

Anthony Edwards

While this list isn’t in any particular order, Ant-Man is viewed as the favorite in this conversation. In fact, the “Face of the League” debate was supercharged during the 2023-24 season run for the Western Conference Championship (where he fell short to Luka and the Dallas Mavericks). The second-youngest player on this list, the 23-year old Georgia native is the clear leader of the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise.

His appeal is simple: he’s a shit-talker with the skills and tenacity to back up everything he says. Also, the average person sees a reflection of themselves when they look at Edwards. From the way he talks, to how he carries himself in the media, he is perhaps one of the more relatable NBA stars, nothing seems contrived or manufactured.

To cement all of this, he is the only current generation star (to my knowledge) with a highly sought after signature shoe. The AE1s are the first athlete-backed sneaker that I’ve seen break into the mainstream in God knows how many years.

Ant-Man actually addressed this topic himself as part of his ongoing YouTube series. After years of letting journalists and pundits shape the narrative for viewers, it’s great that players are taking their image into their own hands.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

My favorite thing about Shai is that one of his nicknames given to him by NBA fans is the “free-throw merchant.” That shit is hilarious every time I hear it. Like it or not, he is in contention for being the next face of the league. This is the second season in a row where he is a leading candidate for regular season MVP. Plus, he is the leader of the current number one seed in the Western Conference (as of this writing).

Because this generation’s “Face” has to be multifaceted and not just great players, Shai’s off-the-court activities position him well in this contest. In 2024, he was named Creative Director of the Converse Basketball division, and his signature shoe is due later this year. Additional, his tunnel walk fits earned recognition in the fashion world, earning him ambassadorship with Canada Goose (a brand that shares the name of his native country) and an invitation to Anna Wintour’s illustrious Met Gala.

Victor Wembanyama

There have been (and still are) a bunch of freakishly tall ball players, but none in this generation have had the impact that Wemby had through just his second season in the league. Aside from his 7’4” stature, his agility and pure skill made him one of the most exciting draft prospects since Bron (though, I feel like we were saying the exact same thing about Zion Williamson).

If I’m not mistaken, we’ve never had an international player be the face of the NBA before. As Wemby continues to adjust to the pace of the NBA, and if he can somehow manage to avoid injury, I’d say the future is definitely looking bright for Wemby.

Ja Morant

“Fearlessness” is the perfect word we can use to describe Ja Morant. He is known for attacking the rim with such ferocity, you’d think it stole something from him. Perhaps the most exciting in-game dunker since Russell Westbrook, #12’s athleticism is rivaled by his charisma. Above everything else, fans anticipating his triumphant return to superstardom (in terms of playoff breadth and commercial opportunities) after dealing with some off-the-court setbacks. Who doesn’t like a comeback story? Besides, if Kyrie Irving has taught us anything, any negative narrative will change for the positive once you get to hooping.

The current narrative is that he doesn’t have the same level of efficiency as he used to. What fans need to remember is BRO IS COMING OFF OF AN INJURY. Not every injury should be treated equally. When Kevin Durant ruptured his achilles, we expected that he’d never play the same way again. Somehow, he is just as much a dog as he was pre-injury. It feels like from then, people expect players to return from injuries with the same efficiency as KD did.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. However, we get so caught up in the “right now” of things, we tend to forget things such as Ja’s trajectory pre-injury. I’m willing to give him the grace that he’s so rightly earned and patiently wait for his return to greatness.

Jayson Tatum

Before turning 30 years-old, JT has appeared in four Eastern Conference Finals (earning ECF MVP in the ‘21-22 season), two NBA Finals appearances, and a Finals Championship ring. He clearly was a top five pick in the draft for a reason. And yet, he is perhaps the most snubbed person on this list.

Maybe it’s because he’s on one of the most hated franchises in the League (Boston Celtics); maybe it’s due to the several cringeworthy moments in which he copied Steph Curry, Kevin Garnett, and Kanye West; maybe it’s due to the belief that the Boston Celtics had one of the easiest paths to the NBA Finals (a widely believed notion is that the Western conference is as stacked as its ever been, while the East is… ok, I guess); maybe it’s because actions such as posting a text he shared with the late Kobe Bryant right before a Game 7 of the Finals make him look corny as fuck (he ended up losing to Golden State afterwards).

Maybe it’s because he’s light skinned (I’m just saying shit at this point). Whatever it is, non-Celtics fan do not care to rate Tatum. If he keeps adding to his resume, and maybe hires an image consultant, I think we will be forced to take notice.

Luka Dončić

I can’t think of anything that can happen from now til June that would be a bigger sports story than Luka getting traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. A very on-brand move for LA—the team is known not for drafting stars, but trading for them. However, it’s considered to be one of the most erroneous decision in the last few years.

Why the hell would you trade your then 25 year-old franchise player who just led your team (along with Kyrie) to the NBA Finals in the prior year? I won’t pretend to know why such a decision was made, but it seems like the Dallas Mavericks have been cursed since Luka’s departure. To be specific, there are usually 12-15 players on a roster; the Mavs currently have six available players due to several injuries.

Trade aside, Luka’s one of this new generation’s great basketball minds. His play-making ability and athletic prowess (despite Mavs reports) make him a force to be reckoned with. Add the fact that his trade destination was none other than Los Angeles, he’s in the perfect position to be primed for becoming the next Face.

Giannis Antetekounpo

An international superstar who’s already experienced victory at the highest level in the NBA. His humble beginnings + willingness to succeed and outwork the competition make him highly appealing for fans both domestic and abroad. Securing the viewership of the latter is key if you’re trying to expand the NBA as commissioner Adam Silver is trying to.

Above all else, the Greek Freak is as competitive as they come, as he’s stated in the past that he doesn’t workout in the summer with other NBA players because it’s his job to beat them. Friendship is cool in sports, knowing that Giannis really doesn’t want to be friends with other players makes his ambition that much more authentic to me.

Nikola Jokic

Of the nine players on this list, the Joker joins Shai, Wemby, Dončić, and Giannis as non-American players who could one day become the global face of the Association. The running joke is that he seems to be the least interested in the mantle. However, he’s already a three-time League MVP, champion, and Finals MVP, and he is making strides toward his fourth regular season MVP award. The talent and accolades do a lot of the talking, even though he himself may not do as much.

Zion Williamson

It took six seasons for the number-one draft pick and Duke sensation to achieve his first NBA triple-double stat line. That isn’t from lack of trying—he’s just been unavailable for a large part of his career due to injuries. However, what was being considered one of basketball’s biggest “what if” stories is slowly transforming to a story of persistence and perseverance.

If he stays healthy—I’ll stop right there, cause if you’ve been paying attention to his game, you’ll realize that phrase is such a tired talking point. Everyone knows that he’s been injured a lot, and continued discussion of this fact is taking away from enjoying his level of production. Over the last 10 games, he’s averaged 24-7-6, and he’s at the lowest ever since getting drafted.

On a final note, the treatment and criticism of Zion in the media has perhaps damaged his brand perhaps more than every other player on this list—a conversation for another day.

Conclusion

The most prominent NBA stories in sports media will continue to be centered around these players as the years go on. Championship titles will bolster each athlete’s claim to the crown; injuries will have an equal but opposite effect. We’ve seen this with Zion Williamson (though he’s slowly catching up to the expectations that were set upon his entry to the League). We’re currently seeing this with Ja Morant, as he is recently coming off an injury.

That’s the sports aspect of this story. I think I did ok, but I’m all ears if there’s anything that I missed.

The aspect of this story that I find to be more interesting is how the conversation represents a larger issue with NBA coverage and modern day media in general.

I will talk about that on Friday.