Future of the Game

The future of the NBA is in great hands. There are a countless number of players under the age of 28 that are already absolute superstars. The last 4 NBA MVP (Most Valuable Player) awards have gone to players under 28, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. These 2 players alone are enough proof that there is a "passing of the torch" in the NBA, but there are plenty more.

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Giannis is the first of the young superstars to lead his team to an NBA championship, doing so in 2020 when he was 26 years old; however, on his road to that title, he had to take out the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks were lead by young superstar Trae Young (pictured right), who was just 22 years old at the time. In his first playoff run, Young averaged an absurd 29 points and 9.5 assist per game, including a 48 point, 11 assist performance in game 1 versus Giannis and the eventual champion Bucks.

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This past season Jason Tatum lead the Boston Celtics all the way to the NBA finals before falling short to Stephen Curry and the Warriors (he's not done yet). Tatum was only 24 at the time. Meanwhile, that same postseason, the Dallas Mavericks won a tough, 7 game battle in blowout fashion against the defending Western Conference champions, the Phoenix Suns. That Mavericks team was lead by 23 year old Luka Doncic who looked absolutely unstoppable all series. The Mavericks, however, also lost to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.

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Along with those mentioned, there are countless other young superstars in the NBA who have yet to dive deep into a playoff run such as Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lamelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, etc.