So, LeBron is reaching the end of his career. Due to his age, he is starting to slow down. At his age, he will risk injuries, which isn’t good for any athlete. So, we have to say goodbye, we have to find a new face of the NBA. Fortunately, we have a couple of people we see fit for that position.
Owen Sandjong, reporter
Steph Curry could probably make the face of the NBA. If he keeps playing like he is now, he could probably make it. Curry has been in the NBA for 16 seasons. He has riled up the crowd a bunch of times. His gameplay has shaken up the crowd too, leaving defenders confused about the direction he’s going in. The way he shoots has made him the best shooter in the NBA. This could give him a shot at being the face of the NBA.
I would have to go with Jayson Tatum as a second choice. I’ll put it this way: he was first drafted in 2017, and since then, he has been on a roll, scoring point after point, win after win, season after season. Even in 2018 – a year after he was drafted- they voted him a member of the NBA All-Rookie Team. Now, he’s the head of the Boston Celtics. If that doesn’t scream . . . “I should be the face of the NBA”, I don’t know what it does. Looking at all he’s been through, that could give him a good shot at being the face of the NBA.
The thing is, I never said I’m picking these players on stats -even though they all have good stats- I’m picking them on their popularity. If I wanted to base it on states, I would probably pick someone like Kevin Durant or Nikola Jokić. But, it’s all about popularity and reputation. Since 2012, Anthony Davis has shown why he’s on the Lakers and the NBA. He’s been there since the start and will be there to finish his career. He has proven many times that he is worthy of being the face of the NBA, and just naming one reason would be more than enough.
Michael Harris, reporter
My opinions are more based on the excitement that they bring to the arena rather than the performance of the players.
Anthony Edward is an amazing player. I believe that to become the face of the league, you need to strike the perfect balance between being a flashy player who can excite the crowd and a player who can score points consistently. I believe Edwards has all of those skills. Edwards can excite the crowd and score points, but not as well as a few other players on the court.
Lamelo Ball is an outstanding player. He excites the arena from his 29 ppg average to his assists and this eam play. Since he’s not getting a ton of help from the rest of the people on his team, it’s not easy for him to be recognized as a contender for the league’s best. If he had teammates who helped keep the ball moving, then he might have more recognition for how good he is.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is both strong and explosive- maybe both players combined. Antetokounmpo is a player who can get into the paint easily and isn’t afraid to dunk on anyone under the rim. Antetokounmpo can excite the crowd with his strengths if he stays on the track. He’s now at the top of the points-per-game leaderboard in the NBA. I’m confident that he can become the face of the league. Maybe even more than that someday.
