We won’t find the Next LeBron James in these playoffs (and that’s OK)

Normally, it’s not good news when the face of the NBA doesn’t even make the playoffs. When LeBron James’s Los Angeles Lakers failed to advance to the postseason, many thought the product would suffer. Instead, these playoffs have been full of drama and raised the question of whether one of the players starring in this postseason will one day assume James’s mantle.

James, after all, is 37 and far closer to the end of his career than the beginning (even if he has a Tom Brady-esque ability to keep Father Time at bay). The second round of the playoffs contains a long list of young players with huge amounts of talent: the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid (age 28), the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (27), the Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker (25), the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (24), the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić (23) and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant (22) (and that’s without mentioning stars such as Nikola Jokic, whose teams are no longer in the postseason).

Of those players, the most likely candidate to threaten LeBron’s crown is Giannis, who has already achieved First Name Only status. Right now, the Bucks – playing without noted Celtics-killer Khris Middleton – have a 2-1 series lead over Boston, and much of that has to do with Antetokounmpo playing like the defending finals MVP he is.

The Greek Freak already has a championship ring and two league MVPs under his belt, putting him well ahead of the pack as far as career accomplishments. He hasn’t been a slouch this postseason either, with a 50% field goal percentage while averaging 27.9 points, 12.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists.

Just last month, Antetokounmpo was named to the NBA’s All-Time European Team alongside another current player in Dončić, who has five fewer