When you think of the NBA you most likely think of the greatest to ever touch a basketball, and these legends all ruled a certain time in the history of the NBA. For the 60’s it was Wilt Chamberlain, 70’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 80’s Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, 90’s Michael Jordan, 2000’s Kobe Bryant, 2010’s LeBron James, and finally for the 2020s, well that’s where we hit a roadblock. In NBA history there have always been guys who ruled their era with little debate from the outside world but four years into the new decade there is no one conscious decision. In today’s article, we will go into depth about what the future holds for the NBA and who’s going to be the next face of the league.

In these past four years, it feels like we see someone break out and become an absolute superstar. But first, let's set some rules, to be the next face of the league you must be under the age of 29 because anyone 29 or older might still be dominating but we only have a couple more years left with them. Next, you must be good at the game of basketball! Now I know this seems obvious but in the NBA there’s a difference between dropping points in the playoffs consistently or being Cam Thomas and having only two forty points in games yet people hype you up for no reason.

With the criteria set let’s name five possible players that can compete for the title of “The Player Who Ruled the 2020 Era.” First, we have Luka Doncic this man was putting everyone to shame right when he came into the league. He averaged 20+ points his rookie year and his numbers have grown rapidly. Now in his 6th year, he is averaging 33 points, 9.8 assists, 9.2 rebounds, and 5 All-NBA selections. This is a beyond-impressive resume, so who else is there? 

Next, we have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander(SGA), Shai has always been a great player but in the last 3 years, he has taken his game to the next level as he is averaging 30 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 2 All-NBA selections. Not as impressive but worth taking a look at. 

Next, we have Anthony Edwards, a young shooting guard who is being compared to Michael Jordan because of his playoff success. He is averaging 25.9 points, 5.1 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1 All-NBA selection. 

Following that up Jayson Tatum, Tatum has successfully brought the Celtics back to the NBA Finals with little contest from any other Eastern Conference team. Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 4.9 assists, 8.1 rebounds, and 4 All-NBA selections. 

Now, to round out our nominees I wanted to say some names that deserve to be recognized as a potential candidate yet we all know it’s heavily unlikely at the current moment. First, we have Jalen Brunson. This man ever since the Knicks brought him on has been a flame thrower as he has averaged career highs throughout the board. Also, we have to give a shoutout to Tyrese Haliburton, a young point guard who broke out to be a star this year and brought his team to the Conference Finals. Finally, we have Victor Wembanyama. Victor will be the face of the NBA in 2 to 3 years from now. He surpassed what people thought he would do and had DPOY votes as a rookie. This 7,4” French man has unfathomable potential, but at this current moment, he does not deserve this title quite yet. 

So who is it? As I started this article my bias led me to Anthony Edwards. He was cooking everybody in the playoffs and was a young guy with the potential to be a superstar, and he also had something that most superstars have, character. Character is what makes so many fans adore you and hate you at the same time. For Jordan it was how everyone feared him so much on the court you had to like the guy, Kobe it was an effort to never stop and love the game like so many others, LeBron brought a title to his hometown and did impossible feats, and finally, for Edwards, it’s his cocky charisma that makes it hard to not enjoy the way he treats the game. But newsflash: Anthony Edwards is getting cooked by the new face of the NBA for the next couple of years Luka (Magic) Doncic this man can not be stopped. His mind for the game and his confidence in himself to make insane plays and insane stat lines.

In conclusion, Luka Doncic is the new face of the NBA, and watching him play backs up this claim. But in 5 years when we refer to the 2020s, will we say Luka ruled this era, the short answer is probably not with new guys such as Wembanyama entering their second years. The true face of the era is still up for grabs, but for the face of the NBA right now Doncic has me convinced.