Ever since the NBA’s inception in 1946, the league has always had a face to it. Whether it was Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan, there was always that one guy that everyone knew and related to the NBA.

In simpler terms, the face of the league is essentially the player who at his time of playing is the most famous and recognizable figure, and embodies the league’s image. It’s the guy that the league wants to plaster on every billboard and commercial across the globe.

And for the first time in a very long time, the NBA is in desperate need of a new one. The league really hasn’t had to struggle to find that top guy probably since the 1970s. It’s been smooth transitions between Johnson, Jordan and since 2003, LeBron James. But James is now 40, clearly not the same player he once was and can realistically call it quits this summer.

So the NBA has a problem. There isn’t a clear cut young guy that can automatically take the crown, and guys like Kevin Durant and Steph Curry are too old at this point as well. But there is one guy who clearly wants it, is willing to take it on and all the hardships that come with it, and checks every box that the NBA is looking for.

May I present Jayson Tatum.

The Boston Celtics forward brings everything to the table necessary to become the face of the league, and no one is hungrier to take on the role than Tatum. Ever since he came into the league in 2017 it was clear he wanted to be in the same league as the all-time greats, and for his name to be mentioned alongside fellow All-Stars like Curry and James.

Probably the biggest element to the conversation is that Tatum is a winner, plain and simple. Since being drafted to the Celtics in 2017, the St. Louis, Missouri native has been to the playoffs each year, reaching the conference finals five times, and also has two NBA Finals appearances. And in summer 2024 he reached the NBA mountaintop as he led Boston to its first world championship since 2008.

So let’s break it down. He already has a ring, two Olympic gold medals, a signature shoe line and is the best player on one of the biggest basketball markets in the world. Oh did I also forget to mention he is only 19 years old (27).

“Did he win a championship? Yes. Did he win gold medals? Yes. Was he always a part of winning seasons? Was he first-team all-NBA? Those are things that you know are hard evidence,” Tatum told the Washington Post. “Face of the NBA? They can always debate. But it’s like, I check off all the boxes.”

So he passes nearly every test required to be the face of the league — why isn’t it such a natural transition like it was for Jordan and James? Well that’s kind of complicated.

Tatum isn’t necessarily the most outgoing guy in the world. He isn’t flashy on or off the court, and he isn’t the most intense competitor you’ll come across. He isn’t getting in opposing players’ faces or saying anything controversial.

But the biggest factor keeping Tatum away from the title he wants so bad is probably the fact that he’ll never win MVP. While Tatum is consistently a top five player in the league and does so many things really well, he doesn’t necessarily dominate opponents across large stretches of the season.

Guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic or Giannis Antetokounmpo kind of have this magical element to their games that is mystifying to watch. While Tatum does have stretches where his game looks like that — 2023 Game 7 against Philadelphia — it’s not an every night occurrence.

What Tatum does have going for him is he is better consistently at every element of the game than every other player in the league. He can routinely score 30 points, grab 12 boards and dish out seven assists all while playing world class defense on the other end. What separates him from everyone else is he does this every night, no matter the day or opponent — looking at you Joel Embiid.

But what should be the most important factor is his innate ability to just win. No one in NBA history has more playoff wins than Tatum before turning 27. He’s consistently making deep playoff runs every year, doing whatever it takes to just win.

So NBA fans can take their 60-point performances from SGA and their 30-20-20 triple doubles from Jokic, slapping their highlights across social media. Tatum will be doing all the little things necessary that go into winning.

Maybe that’ll cost him the title he so desperately craves, it shouldn’t, but it probably will. Hopefully the banners he raises in Boston will make up for it.