Ex-Warriors Star Doubles Down on Anthony Edwards “Next Face of the NBA” Stance

The NBA All-Star game offered glimpses into the potential future of the league. The East All-Stars launched an unprecedented offensive display, surpassing the 200-point mark and hinting at the possibility of high-scoring spectacles becoming the norm. Moreover, Adam Silver shared his insights on the NBA’s emerging face. While he steered away from labeling youngsters like Anthony Edwards or Victor Wembanyama, the commissioner expressed confidence that the league is in capable hands.

This has sparked various speculations about who might emerge as the face of the league. Some argue in favor of an international player, while others point to Jayson Tatum‘s family-friendly demeanor or Edwards’ MJ-like acrobatics. In this discourse, Gilbert Arenas has chipped in, however, with a unique twist.

Gilbert Arenas has a huge take on Anthony Edwards’ chances

The Gil’s Arena. after touching on Edwards’ 34-point game against Wembanyama’s Spurs, reflected on Karl-Anthony Towns’ comments about Ant being the future face of the league. When probed for his opinion on Towns’ perspective, Arenas, while acknowledging the sentiment, highlighted a significant shift that Edwards requires to truly ascend. Arenas asserts that for Ant to become the face of the NBA, he might need to consider leaving behind the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Gilbert confidently asserts that Anthony Edwards possesses all the qualities to become the next face of the league, emphasizing, “The way he plays, his style, charisma, funny—it is of the face when you’re trying to sell a product.” However, he then pointedly mentioned, “Timberwolves, as a business, is just not big business,” expressing his belief that Edwards will find ultimate success with more prominent teams.

To build on his stance, Arenas strategically brought up the updated criteria for All-Star venues, contending that the NBA prefers larger cities for their more grandiose events. Expanding on this argument, he pointed out the case of the Memphis Grizzlies, who performed exceptionally well last year but didn’t garner the expected attention. Similarly, he cited the Cleveland Cavaliers this year, placed second in the East, as another example.

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Furthermore, Arenas bolstered his argument by bringing out the big guns, noting that the NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets, only had 22 televised games this year, ranking in the middle among all teams.

Can Jayson Tatum make a sweep ahead of Edwards?

Arenas subtly pointed out that the face of the NBA is essentially a marketable product. With that, Jayson Tatum has emerged as a prominent contender within the speculative narrative. This season, Tatum is the best player on the best team in the league. Furthermore, his confidence is oozing, as he recently asserted himself as the top player in the league.

However, Tatum’s journey has yet to yield significant results in the late playoff stage. JJ Redick recently underscored that winning is the ultimate factor; the face of the league wins on the biggest stages. With that, if the Celtics can sustain their winning momentum and secure a championship this season, it has the potential to solidify Tatum’s name at the forefront of these conversations.

While Tatum’s Celtics have been a top 3 team in the East since he was drafted, they have yet to challenge for a title. The closest they came was in 2022 when they lost to the Golden State Warriors in 6 games. Arenas’ point on marketability is true, Redick’s ‘winning momentum’ point carries more weight. Jordan only became the face of the League after his first title. LeBron became a bona fide star in the media’s eyes after he won with Miami. For either Jayson Tatum or Anthony Edwards to take the mantle off the King, they will need to prove that they can lead a team to championship glory.