Quartet of stars make NBA history to start new season

NBA's future is brighter than ever

It's worth noting that the quartet of history-makers — Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Maxey and Victor Wembanyama — are all 26 or under, signaling excellent news for a league on the cusp of a new era.

With LeBron James, 40, Stephen Curry, 37, and Kevin Durant, 37, entering the final leg of their careers, the NBA is seeking its next batch of megastars to carry the league forward. While Doncic, Edwards and Wemby have been widely earmarked as candidates to take the torch forward, Maxey could emerge as one of the faces of the league if he can carry the Philadelphia 76ers to prominence.

In the lead-up to the new season, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had an interesting take when asked to identify the players who could succeed Curry, James and Durant. 

"You got to be more than just a great player," Kerr told The Athletic's Nick Friedell. "You have to have charisma, you have to have grace, you have to have a connection that the fans feel. And a connection that sort of transcends fandom. Like everybody's a LeBron fan, and everybody's a Steph fan — everybody was a Michael fan."

Curry said it's essential to be a "great ambassador" to the sport first and foremost, while naming the likes of Doncic, Edwards, Wembanyama, Ja Morant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum as worthy candidates to take the mantle as the next face of the league. 

Perhaps we'll get our answer by the end of the 2025-26 season.