This season’s Conference Finals are here! When the ball hits the air on Tuesday night, four different droughts are on the line. Yes, you heard us, four different droughts! Well, this comes after three teams out of four remaining- The Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Oklahoma City Thunder set eyes on their maiden title. Whereas the fourth, the New York Knicks, haven’t won one in over half a century. But this postseason, more than just breaking title droughts, this feels like an entire era of the NBA coming to a close, as the Titans who once ruled the league are missing. So, what’s next for the NBA?
This season, there’s no LeBron James, Stephen Curry, or even Kevin Durant standing tall in the playoffs. It’s very surprising given that between the three, they’ve won 10 championships and seven MVP awards, from 2010-2020. Moreover, at least one of them has reached the finals in that period. With teams left in this year’s postseason led by young players such as 23-year-old Anthony Edwards, a 26-year-old Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, or 25-year-old Tyrese Haliburton, are Adam Silver and Co. facing a similar problem they had to deal with 25 years ago? Well, they might be.
According to journalist Ryen Russillo, the league might be heading in the direction where it once was after His Airness, Michael Jordan, hung up his boots. “I remember being just an NBA fan in the post-Jordan concern years, where you know it just felt like the league was doomed and they were forcing all these storylines.” Russillo stated on the podcast ‘Green Light with Chris Long.‘ “Then it was supposed to be Kobe, and then it kind of was Kobe for a little bit. I mean, nobody’s MJ, but the league will find a way. It’ll find a way. But if there’s a matchup like I don’t think they want OKC and the Pacers in the NBA finals every single year based on market size.”
Jan 25, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (left) defends against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (right) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The 49-year-old journalist pointed out how the league was going downhill after MJ’s retirement. Moreover, to salvage something, the NBA tried to force storylines, which didn’t really gain much traction. Until Kobe Bryant showed up and was the face of the league for a while. He believes that something similar could be heading Adam Silver’s way with superstars such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry reaching the twilight of their careers. However, he also reflected on the fact that the league has found a way every time, so they will figure something out. Or maybe they don’t have to with a new crop of stars already taking the lead.
Will the NBA fare well post-LeBron James and Stephen Curry era?
It feels just like yesterday when LeBron James and Stephen Curry were battling against each other in the NBA Finals. Now, we’re talking about how the league would fare without the two generational superstars. Time sure does fly away. Nonetheless, the league has seen this script before, and everything turned out just fine. Let’s not just skip to any conclusions yet. No one can replace these superstars. However, maybe the current generation of star players will do just fine. Well, they do have all the assists for it, so why not?
Jan 29, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) forces a turn over by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
According to Ryen Russillo, the league might just have more depth than ever before. “I think the league is deeper now than I can ever remember. When I think of you know some of these players and how skilled they are, you know the guys that aren’t even starting for teams. There were some pretty lean years in the early 2000s, where you’re like, man, you know how many stars do you have?” He said. Indeed, that’s true, the talent pool of the NBA is higher than ever. We mean, some of the teams are stacked with talent.
If you look at Anthony Edwards or any other current star, you’ll likely notice how many skills every NBA player possesses. They can do pretty much everything, from handling the ball better, dunking, and blocking. Moreover, it’s hard to recall anyone in history with the size and skill set of Victor Wembanyama. This should give you an idea that the league is in the right hands. Yes, it would be emotional to say goodbye to our childhood heroes, but time spares no one. So, we can be assured that the next generation will be as good, or maybe even better than their predecessors.
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