The NBA is slowly bracing for a future that does not include LeBron James, and that is going to feel strange no matter how ready people say they are. For more than two decades, he has been the constant. Finals runs, championships, MVPs, player empowerment, the scoring title, all of it traces back to him. And at 41 years old, he is still playing at a remarkably high level.
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The tricky part of The King’s eventual retirement is that replacing production is one thing, but replacing presence is another. Someone new will have to step into the spotlight and be comfortable carrying the league’s marketing machine on their back. There are plenty of insanely talented candidates. In fact, his agent, Rich Paul, suggested that rather than one successor, it will be a collective that carries the torch LeBron has held for so long.
The Klutch Sports Group CEO spoke on the subject during the latest episode of the Game Over podcast with co-host Max Kellerman. Paul, who has represented LeBron throughout his career, compared his client’s eventual departure to Michael Jordan’s retirement in 1998 and how the NBA was forced to recalibrate then as well.
“When I look at the league today, talent wise there’s a number of guys you could say could probably be the face of the NBA at some point. I think it’ll be a collective of players just like it was Michael left in 1998,” Paul stated.
Kellerman then brought up a good point about Kobe Bryant being the main draw for the NBA after Jordan, but Paul claimed that it was more spread out.
“I don’t think it was one person. I think it was a collective. I think you had Iverson. I think you had Vince. I think you had T Mac. I think you had Kobe and Shaq. There were storylines with all of them as a collective.”
Rich Paul believes when LeBron retires, there will be a few ‘faces of the NBA’ just like when MJ retired in 98:
“When I look at the league today, talent wise there’s a number of guys you could say could probably be the face… I think it’ll be a collective of players just like it… pic.twitter.com/38TJAgZcrC
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) February 18, 2026
Paul may be right, and there is nothing wrong with the idea of a collective. But which stars are actually capable of carrying that mantle today? There are certainly a few names worth considering.
Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, and Luka Doncic are just a few players who could realistically serve as the draw for one of the most popular leagues in the world. Michael Jordan and LeBron James became bigger than the game itself. This group, at least for now, is still primarily known for what they do on the court. But that distinction can change.
That is really what this next phase is about. It is not just about who drops 35 in May, but who becomes appointment viewing in February. The NBA is more global, more social, and far more player-driven than it was when Jordan or James were ascending, which means the next face of the league may be shaped as much by personality and presence as by playoff success.
Maybe Paul is right and it ends up being a rotating cast. Jokic’s brilliance, Edwards’ charisma, Gilgeous-Alexander’s smoothness, Doncic’s flair. They can share the spotlight instead of one player dominating it. But eventually, someone will separate when the pressure tightens and the ratings spike.
When that moment comes, we will likely look back and realize the post-LeBron era did not creep in quietly. It introduced itself loud and clear.
