The NBA is a star-driven league, and the OKC Thunder arguably have the best and brightest young star the game currently has to offer in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
At only 26 years old, the point guard has already built up quite an impressive resume for himself.
From three consecutive All-Star selections and two All-NBA nods to a runner-up finish in the 2024 MVP race, SGA's accolades are rivaled by few others around his age while his season averages of 32.5 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.0 blocks are comparable to only Michael Jordan's.
Behind his elite level of production, not only does he have this top-seeded Thunder team (44-10) seemingly on the brink of becoming the league's next great dynasty but he's also the odds-on favorite to be crowned Most Valuable Player come year's end.
Yet, despite all these accomplishments and overall successes, ESPN's Shannon Sharpe doesn't seem to believe Gilgeous-Alexander is ready to become the next face of the NBA.
In fact, it appears he's not even in the conversation.
ESPN analyst omits Thunder star from 'next face of the NBA' discussion
Following Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards' recent comments stating that he has no desire to become the next face of the league, conversations have begun swirling regarding who may be the next man up for the moniker after guys like LeBron James and Stephen Curry ultimately call it a career.
During a Tuesday edition of First Take, Sharpe revealed that, at least in his eyes, there don't appear to be any viable candidates.
"Ant-Man has told you he doesn't want to be one... Ja [Morant] could've been it but he had some off-the-court issues that kind of slowed him down and hampered that... Zion [Williamson] just has never really materialized... I'm not so sure there is a next face," Sharpe said.
Now, though Sharpe did note that he doesn't believe a player born outside of the USA can become the next headliner in the NBA "considering the faces that we've seen," if we consider the cases laid out for why none of the names he mentioned are realistic candidates, then it would seem someone like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, regardless of being Canadian, meets the criteria perfectly.
Not only has his superstar potential already been realized at the next level (unlike Zion) what with his per-game averages, advanced metrics, and the top-flight success he's guided Oklahoma City to over the years, but he's also someone who has generated little to no negative attention with his off-court lifestyle (unlike Ja).
In fact, often he's found spending time with fans and signing autographs when he's not playing, as he recently stated "I try to take a few minutes to make some kid's dream come true."
On top of all this, at All-Star Weekend, when asked point-blank what he thought of possibly becoming the next face of the NBA, the Thunder star said, "It's super cool," and that he'd "be lying if I said the kid inside of me isn't excited." This response is in direct contrast to Edwards's, which is why Sharpe removed his name from the conversation in the first place.
Despite Sharpe's belief that a non-United States native can't serve as the top-billed talent in the NBA, the league rosters ballers from all across the globe and literally has a Canadian-based team in the Toronto Raptors.
The idea that someone like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can't be the next face of the association because he was born and raised in Ontario is absolutely laughable.
Frankly, the league would be lucky to have him as their top representative.