In a segment on the “7 PM in Brooklyn” podcast, NBA legend Carmelo Anthony spoke about which player is the next in line as the face of the NBA. According to Anthony, it can’t be Victor Wembanyama (or any international player) for one particular reason:
“Wemby can’t be the face of the NBA because this is our sport [America]. Luka can’t be the face, Giannis can’t be the face, Shai can’t be the face,” said Anthony. “Ant, Ja, Jayson Tatum — these are the faces. Zion was supposed to be the face of this NBA. You can’t be the face of a league that we started.”
It’s hard to define what it means to be the “face of the NBA” but its title is typically reserved for the best players in the league. As a representative of the league and a role model for countless young athletes, being the NBA’s featured player comes with a certain standard of living that often involves carrying the league’s image.
Not everyone is built to handle the pressure but those that do often become immortalized as legends in the sport. For his career, Carmelo Anthony achieved amazing feats but he was never the face of the NBA. That title always went to Kobe Bryant or LeBron James.
Today, with LeBron James aging out of the league, the search has begun for a new face of the game and it is still ongoing. Players like Nikola Jokic (3x MVP) and Giannis Antetokounmpo make a lot of sense on paper but the problem is that they are not American-born.
Carmelo Anthony, along with ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, doesn’t think that non-American players qualify to become the face of the NBA. In his eyes, basketball is an American-born sport and only an American superstar can take the mantle of LeBron James.
With averages of 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game this season, Victor Wembanyama is ready to answer the call of NBA superstardom but being born in France may prevent him from reaching the level of popularity and power of LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant.
But if not Wemby, then who? Right now the list of potential candidates is short and it’s even shorter after Anthony Edwards’ latest comments.
In a recent media interview, Edwards passed off being the face of the league and gave the responsibility to Wembanyama instead. He outright denied wanting the responsibility and now he’s disqualified from the conversation entirely.
With Edwards out of the picture, Jayson Tatum is the next logical answer and we know he wants to be considered among the likes of Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant. He checks all the boxes of a potential NBA-leading star and he’s already a champion after capturing the title in 2024. This season, through 53 games, Jayson is averaging 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists for the Timberwolves.
Zion Williamson was another strong candidate for being the face of the NBA but injuries have taken their toll and now Ja Morant has taken his spot. If the Grizzlies star didn’t have a history of violent and reckless behavior already, he might be the favorite to inherit LeBron’s role.
Only time will tell which person steps up as the next face of the NBA but most fans can agree that the player doesn’t have to be American-born. Whoever can dominate on the court and embrace the pressure that comes with it deserves the honor of being the face of the NBA, even if it breaks decades of precedent.
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