In the latest episode of All The Smoke Unplugged, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson discuss their position on Anthony Edwards’ recent comments about refusing to be the face of the NBA.
One of the most significant topics permeating the NBA is who will be the next face of the league once LeBron James decides to hang it up. Many will agree that the young Minnesota TImberwovles superstar has the potential to pick up the torch, but he admitted he does not want that title, and James agreed with him. James’ grounds for siding with the young superstar are based on how certain media members can be overly critical towards players and the league itself.
LeBron James on being the face of the NBA:
“Why do you wanna be the face of the league when all the people that cover our game and talk about our game on a day to day basis shit on everybody?“pic.twitter.com/JiVD9adlxt
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) February 28, 2025
Stak sees it from both angles. He does believe some media members who speak on basketball are out of touch. But to whom much is given, much is expected. He knows some players would die to be called the face of the league and have to deal with what comes with it. He gets it, though — some people in the media speak about the NBA, and they would not even make their Church league team. However, for him, he would rather have the chance of being the face of the NBA versus not having the opportunity.
Matt expressed that being the face of anything is a huge honor, and it is a remarkable feat when it comes to being the face of the NBA. Given the world we live in today, negativity is always going to drown out positivity. He added that social media and clickbait cover a lot of jealousy and hate. He pointed to Jayson Tatum as an example. Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd did not think Tatum was the face of the league because no quality about him stands out. However, Matt encouraged those with that stance to just look at his accolades and his actions on the court. Barnes acknowledges that for guys like James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry, given the era in which they arrived in the NBA, it is painful for them to hear the critiques about the league in this generation.
However, Matt admitted that the regular-season NBA product is not very good and this has been the case for the past several years. He makes the comparison to being in a dysfunctional relationship. You won’t know you are in one until it is over. Matt stressed that if those three players could remove themselves and try to see what everyone else is seeing, they would have a better understanding of why people are being so critical. He even referenced himself and Stak’s playing days and highlighted that he doesn’t remember anyone saying the NBA is a bad product. When it comes to potential next faces of the NBA, Matt pointed to Tatum, Edwards and Ja Morant as being at the top of his list, but he believes that it is a matter of embracing it. Furthermore, he shared that you would never hear Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan or LeBron say that they don’t want to be the face of the league.
Watch or listen to the full episode below and keep an eye on DraftKings Network for new episodes of All The Smoke Unplugged every Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET!
SHOW BREAKDOWN
Pistons’ Rise & Suns’ Collapse, Untold Kobe Stories from an NBA Icon
- ATS UNPLUGGED is back, with Matt and Stak revisiting the viral ALL THE SMOKE episode featuring Vernon Maxwell. Mad Max’s unfiltered tales of NBA chaos are still breaking the internet—from locker-room mayhem to his battles with Michael Jordan that cemented his legendary status. The guys then pivot to today’s hottest headlines: analyzing the Phoenix Suns’ alarming decline and the potential destinations for Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, decoding Detroit’s shocking surge in the Eastern Conference standings, and reacting to LeBron James’ comments on Anthony Edwards’ reluctance to embrace the face of the league role. Matt also sits down with NBA photography legend Andrew Bernstein for an intimate career retrospective. Discover how Bernstein captured the Magic vs. Bird rivalry, immortalized Jordan’s greatness, and developed a transformative bond with Kobe Bryant—including never-before-shared stories about the Mamba’s obsessive work ethic.
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Check out the DraftKings YouTube page and the All The Smoke Productions YouTube page for more. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on Instagram at @Matt_Barnes9 and @_Stak5_.
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