As it stands, LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant are the faces of the NBA, but Jayson Tatum thinks he is the future face.
“I feel like it’s mine to take,” Tatum told The Athletic. “I do feel like, if we win a championship, it would be more distinguished and clear. But I understand I’m in that shortlist for sure.”
Interestingly, when Steph Curry and Kevin Durant were asked who the next generation to carry the league will be, Tatum’s name wasn’t brought up.
Instead, Steph named Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, while Durant mentioned SGA, Edwards, Booker, Luka, Tyrese Maxey and Tyrese Haliburton.
Tatum’s rival, Draymond Green, believes that Boston’s success has robbed him of some personal recognition.
“I don’t think JT will win his first MVP until he wins his first championship,” Green said on NBA TV. “He’s almost being punished for having so much success as a team early in his career. Now it’s almost like you get on this clock that no one talks about, but you’re on this clock. He’s lost in the Finals, he’s lost in the Eastern Conference Finals, it’s like they don’t respect him quite like they should. I think it’s unfair, because he’s been having MVP type years.”
Some NBA fans maybe wouldn’t like to see Tatum as the face of the league.
Because it feels like there’s just something more Tatum needs to do, as Yahoo Sports‘ Vincent Goodwill points out.
“I feel like– I feel like he’s like a child actor who just never grew up,” Goodwill said. “He profiles, Krysten, as a potential face of the league. He’s with a legacy franchise. He came out of a legacy school. It just seems like there’s something missing. Maybe it’s an NBA title. Maybe it’s that extra sort of gear of athleticism.”
READ MORE: Stephen A. Smith on Who He Thinks Wins Next Title: LeBron, Steph or KD