At 39 years old, LeBron James is playing some of the best basketball of his life right now, and it’s a good thing because the NBA is better when he’s dominant on the court. But not even the King can keep this going forever and when he finally calls it quits, it will be bad news for the league. As veteran NBA point guard Austin Rivers explained on his podcast, the problem is that there’s no one in line to replace LeBron as the face of the league.
“We’re still relying on LeBron to be the face of the league because we don’t have anybody else. Jokic doesn’t want it and he doesn’t have the game for it in terms of flash and overall fanfare.”
Rivers conceded that there are many players today who classify as “box-office” mega stars, and that includes players like Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic. What separates them from LeBron however, is James’ star-like aura which constantly had the fans in awe.
“There’s things that Mike and LeBron and Kobe could do in the aspect of an awe standpoint,” said Rivers. “In the air, the dunking, the moves, the quickness. We don’t have that. We have good players, but do we have a faceoff the NBA type of talent, someone who’s gonna change the game in the NBA? We don’t have that.”
Legends like LeBron, Steph, Kobe, and Magic literally changed the game through their careers in the sport and it helped to transcend their fame beyond the league itself. Today, none of the up-and-coming stars have that type of lure and it will be interesting to see who tries to step up when LeBron moves on.
LeBron Is ‘The Chosen One’
Since day one, the hype around LeBron James has been intense. Before proving himself as an NBA superstar, he was drawing comparisons to icons like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. He even donned the “Chosen One’ nickname to recognize his calling to greatness.
Over 20+ years at the top, and LeBron has more than exceeded expectations. He’s lived up to every standard set before him and has always given the fans a show every time he steps on the court. Even now, after thousands of minutes played, James is still the face of the league and he still carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Who Will Be The Next Generational Great?
Looking ahead to the post-LeBron era, it’s hard to imagine what such a scenario would look like considering it’s been over two decades now. Ultimately, while there are many players who could take up LeBron’s mantle, there isn’t one who has cemented themselves as the favorite.
Victor Wembanyama has the talent and hype to become the next big thing, but amid his team’s 16-game losing streak, it has become abundantly clear that he’s not ready for that kind of pressure right now. In Dallas, Luka Doncic certainly has the numbers to be the next face of the league but he hasn’t carried his team to the same success LeBron did when he was younger. Stars like Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, and Zion Williamson, still have far too much to prove before they can be considered at the top of the league. So, for now, the search for the NBA’s next great generational player continues and it could be a while before we find the next one.
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