LoveTheNBA23 wrote:MagicBagley18 wrote:zimpy27 wrote:
Giannis is too shy and you have to strain your ear to even listen to what he says. I highly doubt he would be the next face, he's more of a fascination and I think even Embiid has a better chance.
Zion could definitely, if he can have a rookie season equal or better than Luka then I think he likely takes that role.
AD will have a big platform like Kyrie did. Pretty sure just about every game will be televised. Media will go crazy over him this year and he seems to be coming out of his shell. He's only 26, same.age as Shaq when MJ retired and he became the face.
You can be on tv all the time but you have to engage the American consumer....don’t think AD Does that and judging by his endorsement and exposure pre-klutch and lakers neither did big business. He was barely anywhere and while he will be on tv and get more marketablility in LA don’t think he’ll be the face.
As far as Shaq while he may have been 26 when mj retired, he was already a phenomenon and breaking baskets and a once in a lifetime personality- not only is AD not that, few ever will be again.
It will be AD or Zion. Bill Russell and Kareem didn’t have big personalities either. That’s not the barometer of becoming the face.
AD is playing for the Nba’s Flagship franchise in the Lakers and he will Be on National TV all the time. If he gets a few Chips in the 2020s he will be the face. You have to win chips to be the face of the NBA. AD is better suited for that in the near future than Zion is. Giannis also has a shot to be the face but a small market might make it a little more difficult.
You mean when Bill Russell played and the games weren’t even nationality televised or on a national level haha. Good call. Tim Duncan won rings and never was the face of the nba nor a unit mover in terms of endorsement. It’s more than winning. It’s a combination of both Winning and marketing ability and having a personality that the average person identifies with that makes them want to buy your product and make the player relatable.
No doubt AD’s profile will be elevated because he’s with Lebron and winning and in LA but unlike what many lakers fans sometimes tend to believe that doesn’t guarantee he will be the face of the league because he’s a laker. Talking about laker exceptionalism. Lol. AD will hit new levels for him and will be on all over but that doesn’t equal face of the league.
Giannis is in small market and yes that hurts him but he also has what people love- the story. The underdog role and how people passed on him in the draft and how he came to America with a dream to play basketball. He already has global appeal.
It’s a timeless tale and his ability to come across as humble, genuine and even in some situations genuinely new and intrigued to certain aspects America culture is extremely relatable more so than the guy who said he doesn’t dress himself (AD). He already has a signature shoe and you see him on tv in ads all the time and he did this without Lebron rich Paul or klutch.
