Who will be the next face of the NBA? With the era of star players like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant slowly but gradually coming to an end, the NBA world is now looking towards the next generation of players. Specifically, one of them. That is Anthony Edwards. No one has endorsed his claim of being the ‘next face’ more than Stephen A. Smith and his ESPN colleagues. From revealing the praise that Michael Jordan personally sent him about Edwards, to giving him advice on national TV about making an impression, Smith is going all-out to promote the 23-year-old. However, he better stop, as one of his future colleagues believes the ESPN crew needs to be more ‘practical’.

NBA legend Charles Barkley, who is serving his final days as host of the legendary Inside the NBA show on TNT, did not mince his words during a recent segment of the show. The 62-year-old said, “OKC is the best team in the NBA. I’ve been telling you all that for 2 months. Hey, ESPN, I love you guys. Don’t try to make Anthony Edwards the face of the NBA, because the face of the NBA is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Joker (Nikola Jokic), and Giannis. You can’t give it to people. They have to take it. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is taking it.”

Charles Barkley’s remarks would stem from the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder continue to get the better of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the Western Conference Finals. The Timberwolves are now 1-3 against OKC, with Anthony Edwards’s lapses playing a major role in the losses. After all, the young star shot 38.5% field goals, and 37.5% 3-pointers during Game 1, and 46.2% field goals along with 11.1% 3-pointers during Game 2. While he improved things on a major level for Game 3, he was back to his old ways by shooting 38.5% field goals and 14.3% 3-pointers in Game 4.

Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seems to be doing everything right during the Conference Finals. Plus, the fact that the player was declared this tournament’s MVP around a week ago only increased his status. Amidst all this, who would want to support Anthony Edwards over the 26-year-old point guard?

It was a little after mid-May, during a segment of ‘First Take’, when Stephen A. Smith had nothing but praise for Anthony Edwards’ game and confidence. According to him, those assets were enough to give him “The Face of the NBA” honor. This is the viewpoint Charles Barkley was against. After all, along with Edwards’ recent drop in performance, all three players Barkley named have won an NBA MVP. With TNT’s Inside the NBA being licensed to ESPN and ABC for the 2025-26 season and beyond, the former Philadelphia 76ers star wants to ensure that he establishes his varying viewpoints from the start. After all, nothing makes more for entertaining and informative television than a group of people with contrasting viewpoints.

Fortunately, however, Charles Barkley might not get too much of a fight from Stephen A. Smith. After all, judging from his recent remarks, the sportscaster seems to be losing confidence in the 23-year-old.

Stephen A. Smith called out Anthony Edwards’ ‘Inexcusable’ behaviour: “Ant Man is so much better than that”

If Stephen A. Smith had continued to believe Anthony Edwards was the ‘face of the league’, that all changed after Game 4. At a time when the Minnesota Timberwolves needed a win to even their win record against OKC, both Edwards and Randle, the two lead scorers of the team, faltered. Edwards from his part, made only 16 points to go along with his 4 rebounds and 6 assists. As mentioned above, he could have secured a more memorable score total, had it not been for his 5-13 (38.5%) field goals, 1-7 (14.3%) 3-pointers, and 5-7 (71.4%) free throws. Instead of Edwards, bench players like Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaden McDaniels had to lead the scoring effort. This lack of efficiency certainly earned Edwards the verbal dressing down he received from Smith.

“Here’s my deal, are you the superstar player you’ve proclaimed to be or not. The fact of the matter is Ant Man is special, we all know this. And you saw how special Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was. That individual pride is what I was looking for. I don’t want to hear something like, ‘I made the right play,’” said the 57-year-old sportscaster, following the Timberwolves’ 128-126 loss.

He further added that, “One would think you would embrace the level of aggression that’s needed in order to do all that you can do to ensure that your team does not lose. That’s what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did. They got blitzed by over 40 in Game 3. What does Shai do? Shai, the reigning league MVP, a man you watched hoist the MVP trophy just a few days ago, goes out there on your home turf and drops 40, 10, and 9. I’m going to repeat that again. 40, 10, and 9. And your response is, ‘well you know what, I don’t think I struggled, I made the right play’ when it was a relatively pedestrian offensive performance for you. That’s inexcusable as far as I’m concerned. Ant-Man is so much better than that”.

15 points in an important Game 4, on your home court, is not what the league front office would want for their “next face of the NBA”. Therefore, Anthony Edwards needs to step up now. He does not have to only change Charles Barkley’s mind now, but also that of Stephen A. Smith. Whether he will be able to do so after Game 5 is something that remains to be seen.