Lebron James is the best player to have ever stepped foot on the basketball court. He is a generational talent we had never seen before and might never see again. There is something to his game that even Michael Jordan couldn’t come close to. If he averages 14 points per game, he will become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the NBA. He is top 10 in assists per game. He has 4 Finals MVPs, 4 regular-season MVPs, and 4 championship rings. He can do it all. Not to mention, he will turn 38 in a week. He is still one of the most dominant players in the League as he approaches 40. Who will succeed King James? I break down these potential superstars and why they could succeed the King as best in the League.
Ja Morant
Ja Morant is one of the best young stars in the League and is younger than I am. He is a 6’2″ guard that will posterize the tallest players in the League. He plays much bigger than size. Look at the monster poster dunk over Malik Beasley in last year’s playoffs. His defense is also very reminiscent of Lebron James. Both have contested and blocked shots at crucial moments in each game. AND THEY BOTH DO IT WITH INSANE INTENSITY. Ja’s block on Avery Bradley is the second-best block in history. What’s better? Lebron’s block on Andre Iguodala that helped the Cavaliers win the Finals. Ja is also in early-season discussions about the MVP. He currently has the Grizzlies at the top of the Western Conference.
The real reason he could be the next Lebron is his personality. He doesn’t take himself too seriously. He interacts with the fans. Watch him get thrown out of a game for telling a fan and her dad (on FaceTime) that the refs are garbage. Ja, again, could have a very similar status to Lebron’s celebrity status. He loves the city of Memphis. And he is getting his own signature, set to release next summer.
Luka Doncic
Luka “triple-double” Doncic is a FUCKING beast. He is one of the top scorers in today’s game. He will turn 24 right after the All-Star break this year. His tenure has started out much the same way Lebron’s did. He is the only star talent on an otherwise depleted roster. He single-handedly has to carry the Mavs night in and night out. Without Luka, the Mavs roster is a lottery team, and a bad one at that. Even when they had Jalen Brunson, the team around Luka was second-rate. Like Lebron, Luka plays the point-forward position with extreme skill. In fact, it was just announced that the Mavs have a two-year window to prove they are a championship or Luka is dipping. Will he take his talents to South Beach?
The one thing that is holding Luka back is his personality. This is not shading Luka’s personality, but it just doesn’t fit the same mold as Lebron’s “larger than life” personality. Could you imagine Luka yelling, “Taco Tuesday?” Luka is much more like Kobe; he only cares about what he does on the floor. He doesn’t want that celebrity status. In fact, Luka is very much the Kobe Bryant to Ja Morant’s Lebron.
Anthony Edwards
Well, we will never be talking about Anthony Edwards being the next Lebron until he gets out of the place where careers go to die… Minnesota. Ant definitely has what it takes, but he will always be number two behind Karl Anthony Towns. The best thing Ant can do is get out of there. If he were to get out of there, he has the flashiness and skill to become the next Lebron, but I just don’t see him growing into that role while he is in Minnesota. Ant does already have a movie credit to his name. He was in “Hustle” with Adam Sandler and Juancho Hernangomez and produced by King James. If you haven’t seen “Hustle,” watch it on Netflix immediately!
Victor Wembanyama
You want to talk about a once-in-a-lifetime talent that we won’t see again. You can only have that conversation by including the future first pick, Victor Wembanyama. He’s a 7’2″ version of Kevin Durant. He could very well be the love child of Durant and Chet Holmgren. In the LNB Pro A League in France, Wemby shoots 51% from the field, can hit the three ball, and blocks like Rudy Gobert. In fact, he makes Rudy look tiny. Wembanyama is going to be a stud in the NBA. I vote to just give him the Rookie of the Year award for next year. No doubt he is going to win it.
That is also the problem with Wembanyama. We have yet to see him play a game in the NBA. We’ve only seen him play in the Euros and the France National League. I’m not taking away from his skill, but the NBA is a little faster game. We know it will take time to adjust. Will he be able to handle the transition?
Lebron is IRREPLACEABLE. Nobody will ever be able to take the mantle from him. He is the best NBA player we’ve ever seen. However, every generation will have an exceptional talent that is the face of the League. Who will that be after Lebron retires? My vote is Ja Morant. It makes sense for him to take up the mantle as the face of the NBA. He is perfect for it, but any of the players I listed above have the chance to take the throne. We will just have to wait and see. Whomever it is, the League is in excellent hands.
Jakey's Takeys 
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