Stephen Curry knows he and some other NBA superstars won’t be around forever, and the Golden State Warriors standout said there are three players who can carry the torch once he, LeBron James and Kevin Durant retire.
Curry named Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves as players who eventually can take the mantle of carrying the league.
Steph Curry mentions Luka and SGA and Anthony Edwards as players who can take the mantle of carrying the league when he, KD and LeBron step away pic.twitter.com/lOuDrye39Q
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) February 17, 2024
For his part, Durant included Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander and Edwards on his list while also adding his Phoenix Suns teammate Devin Booker as well as Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers and Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers.
Kevin Durant was asked who are the next ones who to serve as face of the league with LeBron James, Stephen Curry and himself having been those guys."
He dropped a few names with Devin Booker being one of them. #Suns #NBAAllStar2024 pic.twitter.com/3WsujvEjzD
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 17, 2024
Curry, James and Durant remain among the league’s best players and as such were selected to participate in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, which will be held Sunday. Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Edwards, Booker, Maxey and Haliburton also will be part of the festivities.
The 35-year-old Curry is playing his 15th NBA season. The four-time NBA champion is averaging 28.0 points per game for the Warriors this season. His 3-point shooting contest against WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu is expected to be one of the highlights of All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.
James at 39 years old and in his 21st NBA season is averaging 24.8 points per game for the Los Angeles Lakers. He also is a four-time NBA champion.
Durant, also 35 years old, is averaging 28.2 points per game for the Suns in his 17th NBA season. He is a two-time champion.
Though the three of them still remain near the top of their games, they are already making some room for the younger generation. According to the latest Kia MVP Ladder for this season, 25-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander is ranked second behind Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, while 24-year-old Doncic is at No. 4 on the list, one spot below behind Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics is at No. 5.
With so many supremely talented players of varied ages all over the NBA, the league certainly will continue to be in good hands as the older stars move on and the younger standouts continue to improve.
