In a post‑All‑Star Weekend discussion, Baron Davis asks Draymond Green what makes a player the "face of the league." Green outlines four core criteria: (1) elite, generational on‑court talent; (2) consistent winning and championship pedigree; (3) positive representation of the NBA brand on and off the court; and (4) the ability to market the league in its biggest moments. He then turns to Anthony Edwards, who recently said he could be the NBA’s face but doesn’t want that role, suggesting that Victor Wembanyama should fill it instead. Green argues that Edwards, at 23‑24, is at a narrow window where he must elevate his game, improve his media presence, and embrace the responsibility if he wants the mantle. Green also references Carmelo Anthony’s early career struggles, urging Melo to mentor Edwards by sharing his own experiences. The conversation weaves in historical examples—LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan—to illustrate how championship success and legacy often cement a player’s status as the league’s figurehead. Both hosts stress that the opportunity to become the NBA’s face is fleeting; if a player declines or fails to capitalize, another rising star will take the role.
Chapters
On the heels of All-Star Weekend, outta all the commotion in the media was my man Ant-Man saying, "I'm capable of being that guy, but I don't want to be that guy." Meaning, I don't wanna be the face of the league. He said Wemby should be the face of the league. What makes someone the face of the league?
Man, what makes someone the face of the league? Number one, you got the game. You gotta have the game first and foremost. You can be as clean cut as you want, the biggest steward of the game you want to be. If you don't got the game to match it, you cannot be the face of the NBA. You must be generational. You must have elite ability. That is number one. Number two, you must represent the league in a positive manner, a positive light. When you look at the logo, uh, that is what matters most. Um, this is a, a multi-billion dollar corporation and how you represent that logo on and off the basketball court matters. Uh, you cannot be the face of the NBA if you don't win, uh, because the NBA cannot market you in the biggest moments if you don't win or have never been a winner. And so you must win, uh, that must happen in order for you to be the face of the NBA. We've seen a numerous amount of guys start getting that hype and a little push and a little marketing push. And if they don't win, it goes to hell because we can't market you, we can't show you on the biggest stage.
Right.
That does not work for being the face of the NBA. And saying all of those things, to hear Ant-Man say, "I am capable of being that guy, but I don't wanna be," I agree with him. He is capable of being that guy from, basketball standpoint, talent standpoint. He got all of that. To be that though, he has to go in.
Yeah.
He has to continue to elevate his game to another level. Like take that next step. And he gotta be better with his interviews, off the court stuff, how he presents himself. I think, and that's what he, when he's saying, I don't want to be that guy, those things will show that. But regardless of all of that, Ant-Man's what, 23, 24? If you gonna be that, right now is the time that you have to be building that. You can't start trying to be that at 27. And so my thing would just be, I hope he understand that the opportunity that's in front of him and know that it doesn't come back around.
Like— It's not.
You get a shot at it. Yeah, that's it. And once that shot is gone, it don't come back around. So I hope it is, I hope that Ant-Man understands that and is not making a decision at 23 that at 27, 28, 29, he gonna regret.
Yep.
In saying that, I saw what Melo said and I also want y'all to understand something. By no means is this any disrespect. Melo is the OG. That's my OG. Never would disrespect him. But I saw what Melo said publicly. So I'm gonna say this publicly and then I'm gonna hit Melo and let him know I said this publicly. Because that is my OG. Melo was talking about Ant-Man. He says some things along the lines of, you don't get to pick, which he's right. But I felt like Melo was going at Ant-Man a little bit. And when I look back at Melo's career, because I was a huge Melo fan, watching him when I was growing up, the way he scored the basketball. Melo had to clean some things up on his way through the league. Melo had a bad rap. Melo's talked about this publicly before when he said, The NBA is the FBI. And he said David Stern called him into the office and started saying all these things. He was like, yo. So Melo has spoke about this publicly before, which is why I feel comfortable publicly saying this. Melo struggled a bit coming in early, was not on that right trajectory to become the face of the league. Had the talent, but other things wasn't quite matching up, right? In order to become that face of the league. And so my thing to Melo would be, And maybe he has, 'cause I know Melo a real one. Call Ant-Man, guide him to these things. Share your experiences with him. Help him understand that you had that opportunity too. And maybe some of the things that you could have been doing cost you that opportunity. If it did, I don't know for certain that it did, but if it did. But I would just say, call him, guide him. And the reason I say that is because it ain't many of them guys that's like one of them ones. Yeah. Like you don't come around him often, you know what I'm saying?
Right.
And Melo, Melo is a steward, one of the OGs, pioneer of Team USA basketball and it becoming what it's become. Ant-Man is kind of taking over those reins. Guide him and show him what that means. So I think that would be my only thing on it. Ant-Man struggling a little bit in different areas this year. As a guy who struggled, I can't be a guy and sit up here and throw darts about that. I know how hard it is. But I do think he's capable of being that guy from a talent standpoint. You know, it is— it does have to be something that you want because it requires you to do so much more than just play basketball.
When you look at LeBron, when you look at KD, when he won the championships, right? When you go through the history of being a champion and being the man on the championship team, you ain't got no choice. Look at Jason Tatum. Boston win it again, he's the face of the league, right? When Melo was coming up, a little different. Melo had to fight to get a face, to be one of the faces of the league.
Yes.
'Cause it's Kobe, it's Duncan, it's all kind of legacy that precede him. And so for Ant-Man, there's a lot of legacy that precede him. But Melo was trying to take them people out.
For sure.
Ant-Man gotta try to take them out. And by him saying, "I don't wanna be that guy," like to me is saying, "Well, what do you wanna be?" Like, "How far do you wanna take it? What do you need to take it there?" 'Cause if you don't wanna be that guy, then somebody else is gonna come along on this sushi boat of incredibly talented kids and say, you know what, I'll take it. I'll take it. Right? I'll take it. And I'll take my game to the next level, to the next level till I win the championship. And I think that's what it's really about when you got somebody like him and his talent.
1000%. I agree with that. I, I definitely agree with that. It's touchy, man. Once you lose it, it's tough.
