For over a decade, the NBA belonged to a familiar group of stars, namely Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Many childhoods were shaped by the dynasties of this era, their skills and highlights inspiring many. But as those players step into the twilights of their careers, a new generation is claiming the spotlight.
Today’s league is defined less by big-name dynasties and more by competitive balance and explosive young talent. Cooper Flagg, V.J. Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel and Victor Wembanyama are leading the new wave of young talent with more versatile play. With more players capable of shooting, passing and defending anywhere on the floor, the current style of play looks completely different from the 2010s era dominated by Stephen Curry’s three-point revolution.
Gunn senior Zach Willis has witnessed that change firsthand. With his mom working for the Rockets when he was younger, Willis grew up with the older players, ultimately favoring them over the new generation.
“I feel like they’re still playing really well (but) compared to young players, it depends,” he said. “There’s some young players that I feel like are better than them, but at the same time, players like Curry are still some of the best players in the NBA.”
Willis does acknowledge that the faces of the NBA may change, and that a new era is being ushered in before our very eyes.
“In different eras of the NBA, there’s been different playstyles,” he said. “I think the faces people associate with it will be changed because for whatever time period in whatever sport, you associate that time period to the good players at that point.”
Sophomore Gaia Kimhi — a diehard Golden State Warriors fan — has always loved basketball for its speed and its constant evolution, having a viral interaction with LeBron James in 2023. She believes that too much emphasis is placed on the age of older players, discussing
Steph in particular.
“People exaggerate the effect that his age has had on his play,” Kimhi said. “Instead, I think it’s mainly because of the decline of the Warriors’ success, so when they see the team struggle, they think his age is affecting their overall results.”
Still, the shift is undeniable. Young stars have more pressure and higher expectations placed on them, having to be able to defend, shoot and create plays, regardless of their position.
“There’s always been a new skill set being introduced,” Kimhi said. “Players have to be good at everything.”
Willis and Kimhi both point to one young star on the rise who is reshaping the league with his size and skill: Victor Wembanyama.
“He shows extreme promise to be a leader in the league because statistically, he is the best defensive player already, he has an extremely well-rounded skill set offensively and he is towering above other players in the league,” Kimhi said.
The days of a single dynasty running the league may be over — at least for now. Instead of the Warriors and Cavaliers facing off in the NBA Finals every June, no team has won more than one title since 2019, seeing champions from Boston, Milwaukee, Denver and more. Both Willis and Kimhi believe that while the faces of the game will change, fans will continue to love watching for the same reasons:
excitement, drama and constant evolution.
“There’s a ton of younger players that I especially like to see, (but) the players on the Rockets will always be my favorite players because I watch them the most,” Willis said. “I definitely feel that they have a bunch of young and new players that are exciting, so as time goes on. I’ll just grow to enjoy the sport the same because you’re cheering for who the players are at the same time.”
