Since the advent of the NBA, one face has stood out as the representation of what others can achieve when becoming a part of the league. While the late 80s and the 90s had Michael Jordan as the face of the NBA, the modern NBA has players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry sharing the role. With both players potentially set to exit the league within the next half-decade, people are in search of the ‘Next Face.’ ESPN Sportscaster Stephen A. Smith also has his opinion ready, based on a foundation that Jaylen Brown certainly wouldn’t agree with.

In a segment of ‘The Stephen A. Smith Show’ released earlier today, when presented with a list of four names to choose from, the 56-year-old dismissed San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama as the next face of the league. The 20-year-old certainly made waves during his rookie season last year by establishing a commendable average and setting several new records along the way and Smith commends that. Moreover, given that he originates from France, and is not American, he could also draw in a global audience.

Regardless, the ESPN analyst believes that Anthony Edwards can instead be replaced for Wembanyama. Why? Because he holds a marketable factor that puts him out on top of all the others.

“When you look at Ant-Man, it’s impossible not to think about Kobe Bryant, it’s impossible not to think of Michael Jordan,” said Smith. “He’s (Wembanyama) a spectacular talent, only going to get better, but Ant-Man, when you talk about Box Office, wanting to walk through the ‘turn style’ to see this brother’s play, not to say that all the others you don’t want to see them play either, but Ant-Man’s got something a little extra. I would say Ant-Man is the answer here.”

Stephen A. Smith does not hand out the ‘marketable’ tag to everyone. In fact, he recently got into hot waters with Jaylen Brown over the same. Back in May, the sportscaster highlighted a quote by an ‘undisclosed source’ which stated “Jaylen Brown, it’s not so much that he is underrated, it’s that he’s just not liked because of his ‘I am better than you’ attitude. He knows it. It’s the same reason he is not as marketable as he should be.”

The Celtics star was not happy. Believing that Smith made up a source to hide his own personal critique on the shoulders of someone else, Brown asked the television personality to “State your source.” To further irk Smith, the 2024 NBA champion and Finals MVP even wore a T-Shirt, with “STATE YOUR SOURCE” clearly written on it, during the Boston Celtics’ victory parade back in June. Smith, on his part, remained adamant that the ‘marketable’ opinion was not his, but that of an anonymous source, even as Brown found some support through Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas and others.

While people’s opinion may vary on whether Jaylen Brown is marketable or not, very few can deny that Anthony Edwards isn’t. Within just four years in the league, the player has put himself out to be a competitive personality and an efficient scorer.

In the 2023-24 NBA season, during which he lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2004, Edwards secured an average score of 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists during the regular season games. His value has been recognized by brands like Adidas, who recently signed the player on for a multiyear contract extension that would pay him at least eight figures per year. On top of that, he already holds a five-year, $260 million contract.

After months of being referred to as the ‘Next Michael Jordan’, Anthony Edwards will now have to get used to being known as the ‘Next Face of the NBA.’ After all, Stephen A. Smith isn’t the only one who is advocating for Edwards.

JJ Redick also endorsed Anthony Edwards as the next face of the NBA recently

When JJ Redick was chosen as the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, not many people agreed with the choice. After all, he had no prior coaching experience and, during his 19 years in the NBA as a player, he never secured a championship title. However, the former player possesses a deep knowledge about the sport, with his basketball IQ coming out during his podcast segments and in his role as an analyst for ESPN. It is this IQ that has allowed him to put Anthony Edwards on the pedestal.

In a recent conversation with renowned comedian Hasan Minhaj, the 40-year-old highlighted “For the league, there needs to probably be an American player who takes the throne. I think Jokic doesn’t want it, right? He doesn’t want to be the face. I don’t know if Luca does or not. You know, because of how Giannis plays maybe, and just like bullying people, It’s like ‘I don’t like how he plays.’”

For Redick, the new face of the NBA needs to possess a personality that captures people, combined with the fact that the player would actually want the title for themselves. As a result, he believes that the Timberwolves star could be that guy.

“Wemby could be that guy, Ant could be that guy,” said the Lakers head coach. “People always talk about Ant being the next face. It’s like Yeah, he’s got a personality, he’s funny as f**k, he’s competitive, like he’s got everything, he’s awesome.”

Do you believe that Anthony Edwards should be the next face of the NBA? Let us know in the comments down below.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.