How an NBA title could impact Ant, Luka, Tatum and Haliburton - ESPN

Even before the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers tipped off their series at TD Garden on Tuesday night, the 2024 NBA conference finals had already made league history.

For the first time, zero current or former Most Valuable Players — the award was introduced before the 1955-56 season — have reached the NBA's final four, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Welcome to the next-gen conference finals, which present a massive opportunity for four young stars looking to take the next step in their careers.

Celtics' forward Jayson Tatum, who at 26 is already a grizzled playoff veteran, has yet to capture a ring, unlike the Boston legends of the past. The Pacers, meanwhile, feature one of the league's most exciting and dynamic young guards in 24-year-old Tyrese Haliburton, who has led Indiana to a surprising run.

Minnesota Timberwolves' 22-year-old superstar guard Anthony Edwards could be on the fast track in becoming the next face of the NBA and is already receiving comparisons to Michael Jordan. His counterpart with the Dallas Mavericks, 25-year-old guard Luka Doncic, has become the do-it-all engine for one of the most exciting teams in the league.

How would an NBA title impact the trajectories and narratives surrounding their young careers? ESPN's NBA Insiders examine what a Finals win would mean to each team's superstar.

Nobody within the Mavericks organization batted an eye in late January when coach Jason Kidd declared that Doncic, a month shy of his 25th birthday, was already the best player in franchise history.

«He's better than Dirk,» Kidd said in a matter-of-fact tone during an appearance on the Mavs' flagship radio station, meaning no disrespect to his teammate from the 2010-11 championship run.

Dirk Nowitzki,