Ever since Anthony Edwards said he doesn’t want to be the NBA’s new face, discussions have heated up about who should fill that role. With the league in a transition period, Adam Silver and company need to find someone who can do for them what LeBron James has been doing for the last 22 years. Jayson Tatum seems like a logical choice, and Gilbert Arenas supports his case.
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In order to be the face of the NBA, in Arenas’ opinion, he needs to have an “exciting” game, and Tatum, according to the 3-time All-Star, doesn’t have it. Apart from that, Gil doesn’t see why Tatum’s not the NBA’s best choice forward.“I know his game is not exciting, which is one thing,” he stated. But he went on to mention what Tatum does have going for him.
Arenas, who’s somewhat famous for his wild and controversial takes, has hit the nail on the head this time.
Gil praised the Celtics star’s off-court life, mentioning the NBA needs their next face to be “stable” like LeBron James has been. He even spoke about Tatum’s marketability, saying, “He’s got the looks for the ladies, I mean, there’s no outside drama from him, he should be somebody that they would push.”
Tatum is arguably the most accomplished player on the shortlist to be the new face. He’s the only one with a championship to his name, has 3 All-NBA First Team honors, and has the perfect blend of offense and defense in his game to take the league forward. Tatum’s also well respected by his peers and elders.
.@GilsArenaShow and @PlayersChoice_ speaking about Tatum being the face of the league
“You want stability in the guy you want to push…”
Should Tatum be the face of the league?
🎥: @PlayersChoice_ pic.twitter.com/4YrUVlnxqy
— Playback (@WatchPlayback) February 22, 2025
Jayson Tatum wants to be the face of the league
It’s clear Tatum wants the role too. Just a couple of days ago, in an interview with NBCS Boston about how influential former “faces of the league” like James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant have been, Tatum said he wants to be that sort of a role model for future generations.
“The LeBron’s, the Steph’s, the KD’s… I want the next generation to view me as that.”
— Jayson Tatum
(via @NBCSBoston) pic.twitter.com/GDnE5iAVQY
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 21, 2025
Tatum’s comment wasn’t well received, but a majority of the retorts were in a similar vein to what Arenas had mentioned—that his game lacks a certain level of flash and entertainment.
James with his downhill runs and emphatic dunks, Curry with his long, flashy threes, and Durant with his buttery smooth handles and scoring have all gotten fans off their seats. Unfortunately for Tatum, despite being an extremely well-rounded player, his game doesn’t have that oomph factor.
The harsh reality is that the NBA needs a new face
Despite what you or I think about Tatum and his game, one fact remains: The NBA needs a new player to market and represent its product. This is the first time in nearly 40 years they have no specific direction to take.
After Michael Jordan took over from the Magics and the Birds in the early 1980s, the NBA went global. Then James arrived in the early 2000s, just as Jordan was retiring, and his electrifying presence elevated the league to new heights.
Now, with James and the rest of the old guard slowly coming to the end of their careers, the league has no definitive player to carry them forth, and if Adam Silver wants a profitable product, he’ll need to find someone soon.
