Dec 25, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (left) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (right) talk before the game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Rick Carlisle Shares Truth On LeBron James, Steph Curry

Originally posted on Golden State Warriors on SI
By Liam Willerup | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 4:35 PM ET

The NBA Finals are set to begin on Thursday night, with the Indiana Pacers facing off against the Oklahoma City Thunder. With the Thunder being led by MVP guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton emerging as one of the league's top stars with the Pacers, it has brought into debate who's next up to be the face of the league.

While Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is arguably the best player in the world, he has no presence on social media, nor is he a very marketable player. When asked about the face of the league debate that's been going on, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle shared the honest truth about where it stands.

Carlisle on face of the league talk:

"Time will tell. But Lebron James and Steph Curry, those guys are still the gold standard, really. They're still it and those guys have been absolutely beyond belief" pic.twitter.com/atZlMZgWcE
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) June 4, 2025

"Time will tell. But Lebron James and Steph Curry, those guys are still the gold standard, really. They're still it, and those guys have been absolutely beyond belief," Carlisle said on the debate. Even though James and Curry are nearing the end of their careers, they draw tons of attention whenever they play.

However, once James and Curry retire, the question remains who will step up to be the marketable face of the league. While some may say Anthony Edwards, he's expressed a desire in the past that he doesn't want to hold that title. And if the face of the league has to be an American, the options become slimmer due to the influx of international talent in today's game.

“I think that’s one of those things, it’s almost like the face of the league convo. It’s for the world to decide.”

Whether it’s him or Hali, SGA says the superstar conversation is for the fans to debate @malika_andrews pic.twitter.com/jzNObJ3nNy
— ESPN (@espn) June 4, 2025

If Gilgeous-Alexander can pull off the win in the NBA Finals, it will be hard to debate against him being the face of the league. Even though the faces of the league in the past have been American talents like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant, a pivot to an international star would symbolize just how the game is shifting.

This article first appeared on Golden State Warriors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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