We can’t keep exclusively fixating on what we’ll do when active NBA legends retire or who’s the greatest and why — we should be paying more attention to “who got next?”
LeBron James is the center of attention this week after echoing Channing Frye’s sentiments about why young stars are reluctant to be the face of the league.
While Frye and James are largely right, one way to mitigate harmful negativity and nostalgia bias is by evaluating the rising stars for who and what they are now — as talented young players, regardless of star-power potential.
That should start with the rookies, as this year’s class of first years embodies grit and optimism.
The current frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle, was picked fourth in the 2024 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs just months after helping the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team repeat as national champions as a freshman.
Last month, Castle achieved the rare feat of participating in all three nights of All-Star Weekend.
On Friday night, he scored 12 of Team C’s 25 points against Team G-League and was ultimately crowned the Rising Stars MVP.
The following evening, he finished second in the Slam Dunk Contest.
It’s already daunting for anyone to compete against three-time defending champion Mac McClung’s dunks featuring a car, a ladder and 6-foot-11 Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers. To put up a good fight and achieve a final score of 99.6 — with a perfect score of 50 on his second dunk — all without the assistance of props?
My hat’s off to you, Stephon.
His historic weekend came to a close after the winning Rising Stars team played in the All-Star Game against Shaq’s OGs led by Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum, the young squad losing by a respectable seven points.
Castle’s parents were present throughout the weekend and his mother, Quannette, shared just how proud she was of her son’s performances, writing on X, “if you actually understand basketball, you understand how big of a deal this is.”
Despite Castle’s impressive feats, Draymond Green complained how he had to work “so hard to play on Sunday night of All-Star Weekend,” calling the idea of players circumventing selection to the All-Star team in this way “absurd” on the TNT pregame show.
At this point, I don’t pay any mind to the players’ issues with changes to the All-Star Weekend format because they will always have something to say.
It was still disappointing for Green to insinuate the rising stars weren’t worthy of the game, just because their path was easier than his after nearly thirteen seasons and four All-Star appearances.
Rather than making this claim at the expense of young players’ confidence, why not take it up with the Commissioner by name?
Despite Green’s condescension, he also had much to prove early on in his career — as did LeBron, who became the first player in NBA history to achieve 50,000 total career points on Tuesday.
While James was a worthy recipient of the 2004 ROTY award, his title wasn’t decided unanimously. Carmelo Anthony finished with 430 points in balloting to James’s 508.
Dwyane Wade came in third with 117 points, yet would ultimately receive three championship rings, 13 All-Star appearances, the retirement of his jersey number and become the first Heat player to receive a statue outside the franchise arena.
As we have seen with James, Anthony and Wade, it’s a disservice to focus on a laureate without giving their deserving peers flowers.
While 2024 ROTY Victor Wembanyama is one of one, Chet Holmgren and the Thompson twins have garnered a following for what they proved in their first two seasons.
Thus far, three rookies — Castle, 76ers guard Jared McCain and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher have achieved 30-point games this season. Jazz guard Isaiah Collier was crowned Rookie of the Month for February and currently leads all rookies in assists with 325 as of Wednesday night.
The Washington Wizards have a homegrown talent in rookie Carlton “Bub” Carrington, a 6-foot-4 guard from Baltimore. While the Wizards are in the midst of another disappointing season, Carrington has made the D.C. metro area proud.
Veteran guard Marcus Smart recently joined the Wizards via trade and has already conveyed how impressed he’s been with his young teammate.
Smart said he sees himself in 19-year-old Carrington, describing the rookie’s ability to cut through defenses as a “sight to see.”
On Tuesday, Toronto Raptors rookie Ja’Kobe Walter wasn’t intimidated by the defensive efforts of Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva, brushing him off before nailing a three with just half a second left in the final quarter.
One would think that it would take some time for Brandon Ingram to build chemistry with the Raptors after being traded from New Orleans, but BI wasted no time to walk right onto the court and praise Walter.
Game recognizes game, and there’s a lot of that in this rookie class.
