During the 2024-25 NBA season, we will be exploring some of the league’s major storylines to determine whether they are fact or fiction. In our previous discussion, we delved into whether Nikola Jokić is having the greatest statistical season ever.
In this article, we focus on the question of whether the NBA currently lacks a future face. The upcoming matchup between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers will showcase Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell, two of the league’s rising stars who have already achieved the rare feat of being selected as six-time All-Stars before the age of 28.
The conversation surrounding who will be the next face of the NBA has been circulating among the league’s top players. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder acknowledges that this decision ultimately lies with the fans and the world’s perception. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves humorously dismisses his own candidacy, suggesting that the spotlight may be reserved for someone like Victor Wembanyama.
While the media continues to speculate on the next face of the NBA, it often overlooks the current greatness of players like Tatum and Mitchell. Despite their exceptional performances this season, they are not always considered front-runners for the MVP title, with other players like Jokić, Antetokounmpo, and Dončić often dominating the conversation.
Mitchell’s impressive stats and achievements place him among the all-time greats in the NBA, yet he is not always perceived as such. Similarly, Tatum’s remarkable accomplishments at a young age position him as a legend in the making, yet his contributions are sometimes overshadowed by other narratives in the league.
As fans and analysts, it’s essential to appreciate the talent and greatness of players like Tatum and Mitchell in the present moment, rather than constantly speculating on who will be the next face of the NBA. Their performances on the court speak for themselves and deserve recognition for their contributions to the game.
He has been to two NBA Finals, winning one and still has a championship to defend this year.
Indeed, Tatum’s last four seasons can be compared favorably to Bryant’s best four seasons, and he is only turning 27 years old – the age when legends truly start to shine, before Bryant won his only MVP – on Monday.
When Tatum expresses to reporters, “I’m very accomplished at a young age, but the truth is, I envision myself as one of those guys – LeBron, Steph, KD. I want the next generation to view me as that,” it’s worth paying attention.
If not, consider what James, Durant, and Curry, those all-time greats, had said about Tatum at ages 23, 24, and 25 – before he even won his first championship, calling him “elite,” “ridiculous,” and “a supreme talent.”
Does Tatum feel like his career is truly appreciated? “Honestly, no,” he responded when asked by The Washington Post. “If you took away the name and face from all my accomplishments and just looked at what Player A accomplished at 26, people would talk about me a lot differently.”
It’s likely not due to lack of fans, as Tatum’s jersey No. 0 ranked third behind James and Curry on the NBA’s recent list of top sellers. It’s more about the voices surrounding the game.
When discussing the responsibility of being the face of the league, James mentioned, “Why would you want to be the face of a league when all the people that cover and talk about our game on a day-to-day basis criticize everybody? To carry that responsibility is just strange. It’s strange energy.”
Instead of endlessly pondering who will be the next face of the NBA, we have Tatum and arguably four players better than him. So why not consider the international faces of Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokić, Antetokounmpo, or Dončić. Or even Wembanyama before he turns 21.
We also have some exceptional American-born players. Two more, Tatum and Mitchell, are set to face each other on Friday, and if you’re not tuning in – if you’re preoccupied with who’s up next – you’ll be missing out on witnessing a pair of legends, among the prominent figures of today’s NBA.
Determination: Fiction. The NBA boasts numerous faces of the future.
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