Another NBA season ends, and another champion is crowned. But this one was different. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t just lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to their first title in over a decade — he pulled off something only three players in NBA history have ever done: win MVP, a scoring title, and a championship in the same season. Now, that is rare air! Yet even in the midst of such greatness, something still feels…off. The league is not yet fully ready to hand him the keys to the kingdom. That is the debate that had NBA fans leaning in this week, when the commissioner, Adam Silver, sat down for a heart-to-heart.

Appearing on the Club 520 Podcast (yup, you better believe it), Silver pulled back the curtain on what it really takes to be “the face” of the league. His comments came just days after LeBron James criticized the culture of judging greatness solely by championships (“A ring is a team accomplishment,” LeBron said) — calling for more nuance in how legacies are measured. Silver echoed some of LeBron’s points. But he also drew a line.

The NBA Commissioner didn’t dismiss Shai’s accomplishments—far from it. “Shai is our MVP. He was the scoring leader this year … having a great Finals,” he said. But when it came to the next face of the NBA, Silver pivoted away from the moment and toward the long view. “I always say, like you know, we don’t create those faces at the league office. They earn it on the floor,” Adam promptly noted. “Ultimately, LeBron is a face of the league. And Michael was. And KD was, and these guys and Steph.”

The message was unmistakable: one title is not a torch-passing moment. In the NBA, greatness is built over time — not crowned overnight. It was a moment of contrast. Where LeBron urged the media and fans to move beyond “ring culture,” Silver leaned into it. Not for awards, but for enduring cultural weight. “Sports are about competition,” he said. “It’s about winning.” And yet, the hesitation from the league’s commissioner feels oddly timed.

Statistically, SGA didn’t just lead a young Thunder team—he authored one of the most complete superstar seasons in the modern NBA history. The former Wildcat became only the fourth player to achieve the three-ponged accomplishment, joining some of the elite names like Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O’Neal. And if that’s not enough, Shai averaged 32.7 points per game on 51.9% shooting, and just under 90% from the line — joining Jordan as the only guards to ever average 30+ points on 50%+ shooting across multiple seasons. Even in Game 7, when his shot wasn’t falling (8-for-27), he controlled the game with 12 assists and a perfect night at the free throw line.

In short: Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t ride a superteam to a title. He led. He delivered. And he made history doing it. And that’s what has confounded many. If a season like this doesn’t merit recognition as “the face,” what exactly is the standard?

Adam Silver doubts whether the next generation is ready or not

To Silver’s point, the players he referenced — LeBron, Steph, Durant, Jordan — didn’t just win. They won over time. Repeatedly. They dominated seasons, then delivered again the next year, and the next. They became undeniable. But everyone starts somewhere. And history suggests that being “The Guy” isn’t a status you wait to receive — it’s one you claim.

Shai has already checked boxes most players only dream of: MVP. Scoring title. NBA championship. Franchise leader. First Canadian to lead the league in scoring. Second Canadian MVP ever. Sixth consecutive non-American to win MVP. And at just 26, he’s still entering his prime. And it is not just him.

Anthony Edwards is turning into a two-way beast and a playoff killer. Tyrese Haliburton is a floor general who’s changing how we think about point guard play. The 25-year-old scored one three-pointer after another, even with what looks to be an Achilles tear. The next generation also has Jayson Tatum, a perennial All-NBA forward with a Finals appearance. And Ja Morant, when on the court, is electric and unstoppable. They’re not waiting to be chosen. They’re earning it, exactly as Adam Silver says they should.

“Ultimately, this next generation, who want to take that mantle from them, again, that’s where the competitive juices come in. They got to earn it by demonstrating they deserve to be the face of the league by their performance on the floor,” Silver reiterated. In that sense, Adam’s message may not be a dismissal, but rather, a challenge. 

That said, whether the league is ready or not, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just made his move. He didn’t ask for the crown. He earned it. Just like Adam Silver said, they should.