When Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2021 NBA Championship, it led to him being widely considered as the league's best player. The same was true of Stephen Curry in 2022, who won his most recent title, and first Finals MVP, that season at 34 years old. And of Nikola Jokic, who "couldn't win" until he did in 2023.
As the NBA has shifted further into an era of parity, though, stars haven't been getting that same level of respect. Of the league's last three champions, the public has seemed to only have consensus on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being the best basketball player in the world. Neither Jayson Tatum nor Jalen Brunson got those kinds of props in the wake of their title wins.
There's still time left for Brunson, though, and Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards may have just helped shift the narrative — just a bit. Asked at Fanatics Fest on Friday who he felt the face of the NBA was, Karl-Anthony Towns' former teammate named Brunson as the most deserving candidate.
It's what Knicks fans have been thinking for more than a month, but haven't been able to say without staunch disagreement. Maybe a Western Conference star verbalizing the take could lower resistance going forward.
Brunson's Finals MVP season forced Edwards to give up "face" of the NBA
It was clear that Edwards wanted to name himself as the face of the league. It makes sense — any top athlete should view themselves as the best in their class. It's the exact kind of confidence that helped them get to where they are.
The shooting guard acknowledged, though, that he had yet to reach the NBA's proverbial mountaintop as a champion. And with Brunson being the most recent player to lead his team to one, the Knick guard wound up receiving the Timberwolf's respect.
"The face of the league comes with a lot of responsibilities, and I think one of those is winning the championship, and I haven't did that yet so, maybe Jalen Brunson or one of those guys," Edwards explained to Taylor Rooks at the Javits Center.
Edwards is certainly familiar with Brunson's game, even if he made his choice seem like it was on a whim. The guard said, during the same panel, that he was giving Towns advice before every game against the San Antonio Spurs. The Timberwolves lost to San Antonio in the second round of the playoffs, but that didn't stop the 24-year-old from offering up some wisdom to his former teammate.
Whether Towns took it or not is unclear, regardless of how Edwards made it sound on Friday. But one thing's for sure: the NBA's best players respect Brunson as the face of their league.
Why don't you?
Add us as a preferred source on Google