Smith opines that the NBA is an American sport and should have an American face of the league.
SAN ANTONIO — There’s little doubt that San Antonio Spurs‘ Victor Wembanyama will soon become the face of the NBA.
However, don’t tell ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who thinks that international players cannot be the face of the league.
Speaking on “First Take,” Smith weighed in on Anthony Edwards proclaiming that Wemby will emerge as the league’s poster child, not him.
Smith scoffed at that notion, hoping Edwards would change his mind and adding that the game is American and needs to stay American.
“I don’t believe an international player can be the face of the NBA,” Smith said. “The NBA is an American-born sport. My wish is that Anthony Edwards changes his mind.”
Wemby clearly has everything to be the league’s face.
Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, Joel Embiid, and Edwards have yet to take over, and Edwards doesn’t want it.
That leaves Wemby as the lone player, and he can back it up with his on-court skills, persona, global impact, and more.
If the NBA is a global game, the French big man fits the bill, considering some of the best players currently are foreign-born, such as Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The league even hosts games in Mexico and France.
Unlike Edwards, the Spurs All-Star center has embraced the idea that he will lead the NBA when players such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant have exited.