![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/andscape_above-the-rim.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Above the Rim<\/a> is a season-long series of essays around the NBA that looks at the game far beyond the hardwood and box score. Instead, it\u2019s an examination of the characters, storylines, and conversations that fuel an insatiable appetite for the game and the conversations it spawns.<\/p>\n Who\u2019s the face of the NBA?<\/p>\n Every season. Every random day in February or March. Every postseason run. Every viral clip. It\u2019s the question that\u2019s taken up far too much oxygen in basketball discourse over the last several years. Is it 2026 All-Star Game MVP<\/a> Anthony Edwards<\/a>? Or Victor Wembanyama<\/a>, who Edwards said \u201cset the tone<\/a>\u201d for Sunday\u2019s midseason exhibition? Or the two superstars Edwards put on the Summer Jam screen<\/a> for lack of effort, Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and Nikola Joki\u0107? How about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> or Giannis Antetokounmpo? Or could the next face of the NBA be someone in a loaded 2026 draft class<\/a>?<\/p>\n The answer is none of the above.\u00a0<\/p>\n Aside from the many questions shrouding the league right now, what if the NBA actually doesn\u2019t have a \u201cface of the league\u201d problem on its hands? What if the concept no longer holds weight in a far different NBA (and world) in 2026 and beyond?<\/p>\n For better ways and worse, there simply isn\u2019t one accepted way to consume the NBA nowadays. Therefore, the premise of a singular, dominating star the league orbits around and benefits from is outdated in a media era that is many things, but is not monoculture.\u00a0<\/p>\n Long gone are the days of Magic Johnson<\/a> and Larry Bird<\/a>, and the barren, yet limitless potential of sports on broadcast television. They were far from the only legends of the decade<\/a> of the 1980s. But their rivalry was digestible, easy to understand and even easier to appreciate beyond the hardwood. One being Black, the other white, and both being two of the greatest ever to touch a basketball didn\u2019t hurt either. <\/p>\n Rivals since college, and then bona fide megastars on the league\u2019s two most cherished franchises, Magic and Larry thrived during a time of limited channels. Each matchup was a national TV moment in time. The league evolved around its revival in the \u201980s, but the singular spotlight was shared by a duo of tour de forces that galvanized a basketball universe on the brink of a cultural explosion.<\/p>\n Also, long gone is the decade that changed American pop culture like none before or after: the 1990s. In a decade full of stars, there was none bigger than Michael Jordan<\/a>. An incomparable supernova of the highest order, Jordan was, and still is, the sports equivalent to his \u201cJam<\/a>\u201d co-star Michael Jackson<\/a>. The evolution in media made mass consumption simultaneous and constant. Not only was Jordan (and Jackson) a product of corporate globalism, the centralized media and still streamlined access to the NBA gave Jordan as close to universal appeal as an athlete has ever flirted with. \u201cBe Like Mike<\/a>\u201d wasn\u2019t an infectious jingle. It was an ethos that became cultural and biblical scripture. This is why President Obama\u2019s light-hearted banter with Reggie Miller<\/a> on Sunday struck such a core nerve. Everyone bought in. Michael Jordan \u2014 like Michael Jackson \u2014 wasn\u2019t just ordained in his talent. He was unavoidable.<\/p>\n Long gone are even the days when LeBron James<\/a> bridged two important worlds as the first internet-era megastar and the last universally accepted \u201cface.\u201d James treats his rise to cultural immortality similarly to that of his close friend and mentor Jay-Z<\/a>. TV was still the dominant force in mass communication, but a bubbling behemoth in social media was emerging. Modern athletes, with James at the forefront, have built influential identities extending beyond the playing field into business, philanthropy, and social advocacy. Mogul was the destination, and the brand became an entire ecosystem<\/a>. Largely led by James as well, the voyage of \u201cplayer empowerment<\/a>\u201d completely upended the NBA\u2019s power structure.<\/p>\n Ryan Sirius Sun\/Getty Images<\/p>\n These days, watching basketball is akin to UberEats, DoorDash or Grubhub. Access is both unlimited and instant. Every feed is personalized. Meanwhile, being a fan is both international and hyperlocal, making attention as fragmented as it\u2019s ever been.<\/p>\n The Slovenian delegation orbits Luka Don\u010di\u0107. A French delegation may focus on Victor Wembanyaama. Gen Z may attach to reigning MVP and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> for his off-the-court influence and aesthetics. In American highlight superhighways, Anthony Edwards is tailor-made for a moment like this. Or, for a Pistons fan, Cade Cunningham<\/a> restoring the energy in the Motor City makes \u201cDEEE-TROIT BASKETBALL<\/a>\u201d a rallying cry that could soon deafen the NBA once more.<\/p>\n One NBA audience no longer exists. Hate it or love it, dozens roam. Algorithms may make stars, but they don\u2019t generate kings. Those produce lanes.<\/p>\n The present-day NBA has long moved past its Michael Jackson or even Jay-Z era. Distinct yet individual personalities populate the NBA map. Fans choose their favorite artist, and allegiance grows. In an era of dominance like none before it, no single leader stands atop the pack. But there is a belief and a product giving credence to the belief that the sum is greater than its parts. The NBA is in its Wu-Tang Clan era.\u00a0<\/p>\n Each star has a role. The extraterrestrial overlord (Wembanyama). The quiet, offensive assassin (Jokic). The charismatic two guard (Edwards). The sinister smile (Luka). The Greek Freak (Antetokounmpo). Role players like Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart and Suns forward Dillon Brooks have established themselves as salient, albeit emotionally erratic, supporting characters. Singular star dominance is a basketball artifact.<\/p>\n Related Story While the NBA doesn\u2019t have a \u201cface\u201d problem, there are multiple concerns across the league that could hinder discussion of it. Indeed, the regular season and All-Star Game have seen encouraging signs. This season\u2019s average viewership through the All-Star break is up to its highest level since 2018<\/a>, and Sunday\u2019s All-Star Game tallied its biggest audience in nearly 15 years<\/a> after moving to broadcast and streaming platforms \u2014 suggesting early returns on the league\u2019s massive TV rights deal<\/a>. <\/p>\n Talks of adding events to All-Star Saturday night are reportedly in the works<\/a>. Yet, angst about the regular season\u2019s relevance<\/a>, tanking<\/a>, and sports betting<\/a> only grows louder. Adding \u201cthe face of the league\u201d discussion to an already combustible potluck does nothing to address the real issues at play. <\/p>\n James should be the NBA\u2019s last king. For the past 20 years, the most transformative franchise hasn\u2019t been a professional sports organization. The Marvel Cinematic Universe<\/a> (MCU) has grossed north of $30 billion. In that universe are elements the NBA needs: heroes, anti-heroes, dynasties, charismatic villains, rivalries and grudges that live all season. Nothing matters more than basketball, but within the game has always been what\u2019s introduced it to immortality: the soul of storytelling.<\/p>\n Atiba Jefferson\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n Think of the NBA as a shared universe of spontaneous, recurring conflicts and emotional entry points that aren\u2019t relegated to a seven-game series in June. Think of a community where the international allure and domination combine with vintage American defiance. Big markets feel gaudy, and smaller markets feel epic \u2014 and regular-season games matter because it\u2019s more than turning on (insert streaming app here). Games hold weight because the grudges and emotional connections are part of the season\u2019s story.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sports require friction. Music needs ecosystems. The NBA, at its best, is a beautiful song, and it requires both. It can\u2019t just always be about brand partnerships, friendly banter and fleeting moments of excitement. This isn\u2019t a demand for chaos \u2014 not brawls, not recklessness from fans, not microwaved or manufactured drama. But consequences aren\u2019t consequential when consequences don\u2019t feel like consequences.<\/p>\n In an NBA universe, multiple stars don\u2019t simply co-exist. They dominate for the league\u2019s betterment. Multiple fanbases don\u2019t simply blossom \u2014 each one carries its own individualistic calling card. In the process, the NBA becomes deeper culturally, not narrower. The league expands emotionally before it does literally<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Talent-wise, the NBA is an embarrassment of riches. Stars exist from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. Expecting one to carry the weight of a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate stretching to every continent except Antarctica is disingenuous. The throne isn\u2019t vacant. It\u2019s antiquated.<\/p>\n![\"Team](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2261872195.jpg\")
Team USA Stars pose after winning the 75th NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome on Feb. 15 in Inglewood, Calif.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Installment_Ja-Morant.jpg\"\/)
Ja Morant, Richard Pryor and the man in the mirror \u2013 AndscapeRead now<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Big](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2261441123.jpg\")
Victor Wembanyama (left) and Anthony Edwards (right) are two of the top competitors in the NBA.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Installment_Lebron_02.jpg\"\/)
LeBron James and the complicated art of saying goodbye \u2013 AndscapeRead now<\/a><\/p>\n