‘It’s Mine to Take,’ says Jayson Tatum of the Celtics, on his chance to become the face of the NBA.
Following LeBron James’ admission that his career would finish sooner rather than later, there has been a lot of talk regarding who will take over as the NBA’s face when he retires.
The Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum told Jared Weiss of The Athletic that he has a route to assume that role.
“It feels like it’s mine to take,” he declared. “It would seem more distinct and obvious if we were to win a title. However, I am aware that I am undoubtedly on that shortlist.”
During All-Star Weekend, James answered the question regarding his future in Indianapolis by saying there are “not that many” years remaining in his career.
“I haven’t calculated the number of seasons I have left. It’s not that many, I know,” James remarked.
James, who is currently the oldest active player in the league at 39 years old, hasn’t made any particularly surprising revelations. Only six players in NBA history have participated in at least 21 seasons, including him.
James will tie Vince Carter’s record of 22 seasons played if he plays out of the bench in 2024–25. The NBA is in a vulnerable situation as a result of his unavoidable retirement.
Since his 2003 draft selection, James has essentially been the focal point of the league. After being crowned “The Chosen One” by Sports Illustrated in 2002, he more than lived up to the hype.
When it comes to marketing the league’s future, the NBA has no shortage of possibilities, but it will be challenging to find a player who will represent the league and himself as well as James has for the past 20 years.
It would appear that Victor Wembanyama is the most logical choice to assume the role. Since James, he was seen to be the best prospect to enter the league. The 20-year-old’s rookie campaign is unprecedented.
The San Antonio Spurs are still in the very early stages of assembling a squad around James, so depending on how long he plays, there may need to be a bridge for Wembanyama to take the throne.
Tatum does have a built-in advantage as the best player on a Boston Celtics team that has been one of the best in the NBA basically since he was drafted in 2017. He’s played in the Eastern Conference Finals four times and NBA Finals once in the past six seasons.
Already a five-time All-Star at the age of 25, Tatum is a strong MVP candidate this season. He’s the leader of a Celtics team that has the NBA’s best record (43-12) and net rating (plus-10.2).