INDIANAPOLIS — At some point, LeBron James will announce his impending retirement from the NBA, and a world tour will follow — no matter what he wants to hint at in the meantime — and then he'll be gone.
Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant probably won't be too far behind either. But after James, the league needs to do something with its marketing and figure out who will be next on the roster.
It feels like he could play forever. There's probably a part that believes he'll play forever, if for no other reason than a refusal to give up the spotlight. But Father Time – due to injury or perhaps just decline – will lead him to the exit.
And the NBA needs to be prepared for someone to take the torch and connect with fans through either passionate love or passionate hate. There was very little passion in evidence in the East's 211-186 victory over the West in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night.
“I wasn’t thinking about being the face of the league,” James said Sunday afternoon. “I knew that at 18 years old I was being put in a position to be the face of a franchise, the NBA franchise. It was very stressful and I knew the odds were stacked against me and a lot of people wanted to see me fail. And I just used that as motivation.
LeBron James shoots during the first quarter of the 2024 NBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on February 18, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
“But at the same time, I understand that I still have to be a professional.”
Putting aside the pathetic, apathetic image of All-Star Weekend, today's players are professional and excel on the field. They are, for the most part, good citizens and carefully craft their image through social media.
But no one in the coming generation seems to have the ability to capture the attention of die-hards or casuals like James. In some ways, the players are too sophisticated and too aware of what's at stake, so a lot of the compelling texture is lost.
James grew up in front of the American public and there was a connective tissue before he even set foot on an NBA floor. You either loved him, you hated him (for whatever stupid reason) or you sat there in fascination with what would become of him.
Not only did he have one of the most successful careers in the history of the sport, but at one point the mere mention of his name sparked violent reactions.
More than his on-court excellence – and he'll own so many records it's not even worth mentioning – it's that extra something the NBA will miss once he leaves the team.
It's not the league's fault that the pipeline has changed so much, but it's becoming increasingly difficult for fans to connect with – love or hate – whoever is behind them.
LeBron James speaks during a press conference before the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
What to do with the All-Star Game?
Nobody knows what the All-Star Game is supposed to look like anymore. You can point to the explosion of the 3-point shot or the possibility of larger, stronger athletes colliding and creating opportunities for injury in what amounts to a meaningless spectacle.
But the bottom line is: Until the players care again, this is what it will look like. Every year it's the same rhetoric from the league and its players about making the game competitive, and before you can even bat an eyelid it's 48 unentertaining, uneventful minutes that this time ended in the high-scoring East win.
“I think that's something we have to figure out,” said James, who didn't play in the second half and stood at the podium as Adam Silver presented Damian Lillard with the MVP trophy. “Because that’s the way the game is now. More pace in the game, more shots. Freedom of movement. This is what the regular season looks like, and let’s get tighter in the postseason.”
James said the players were glad no one was injured and that is usually the top priority. But he admits it's a “deeper dive” that seems necessary to get the All-Star Game back to a competitive spot.
Aside from the 2020 game, against the backdrop of Kobe Bryant's death, there hasn't been a contest in Orlando since 2012 – when James was reprimanded by Bryant for missing a late three-pointer in a game in which Bryant had his nose broken by Dwyane had wading.
Like everything else this weekend, no metric or mechanism will matter until players start caring – just a little. Fans have already expressed their displeasure.
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Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff speaks about gun control
The only safe place, at least in the US, used to be sporting events. And while the shooting in Kansas City at the Chiefs' Super Bowl parade last week wasn't exactly a sporting event, it certainly qualifies here.
It was a topic raised Saturday afternoon by Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, as he sat courtside at the NBA HBCU Classic All-Star Weekend between Winston-Salem State and Virginia Union.
“You just can’t have minors carrying guns and having access to those guns and bringing them to these events,” Emhoff told Yahoo Sports. “So this is just common sense. We're not trying to take away guns, we're for the Second Amendment. You have to be able to celebrate a Super Bowl win, go to church, go to the market.”
One person was killed and 22 were shot at Union Station in Kansas City, a shocking event that is all too familiar to Americans. Presumably live sports venues remain safe, but nothing seems certain.
“We need sensible gun protection legislation. And it’s not like we have to make it up,” Emhoff told Yahoo Sports. “It already exists. And Congress must pass federal legislation and have the courage to do so. And [President] Joe Biden will sign it.”
Vice President Harris is a Howard alumna, so the current administration has put a lot of resources and funding into HBCUs. Even though it's an election year, Emhoff still found time to get his first court experience in college.
He and Vice President Harris attended the Celebration Bowl between Florida A&M and Howard in December.
“This is a great way to highlight these great schools, these great athletes,” Emhoff said. “I love hosting events with sports to promote HBCUs. It’s an incredible venue.”