Debate over the "face" of the NBA has been a running theme of the 2024–25 season. As LeBron James and Stephen Curry age out of place, many around the league have thrown out their ideas about who will take their place... though much of the discussion has centered on why specific basketball stars aren't right for that unofficial title.
Many of the league's best players, like Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic, can't be the face of the NBA because they're not American, some, including Stephen A. Smith, say. Others argue against young American stars for other reasons, with ESPN's Kendrick Perkins making one of the more bizarre cases yet against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards.
