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After the NBA was long dominated by superstars who were the face of the league like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, the competition has shifted dramatically, ushering in what many call a new era.
This year, during the Western Conference Finals (won by the Oklahoma City Thunder), both teams showcased new faces like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, and Anthony Edwards, 23.
The era of LeBron James and Stephen Curry is over
That's the view of Boston Celtics legendPaul Pierce, who spoke about the transition from those stars to the younger generation.
"This is the signal of the end of an era now," Pierce commented. "This is what happened this year: You had Jimmy Butler go to Golden State and crack the window open to where you was like, 'oh, it might be a slight chance, the window still open.'"
The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Lakers of LeBron James in the First Round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, then overcame the Golden State Warriors in the Second Round.
"You had Luka Doncic go to the Lakers and say, 'hold on, they cracked the window back open for this era.' But these young kids were like, 'nope. Bron, Steph, KD, appreciate y'all. This our moment now.' And they closed the window on the old era... This is what they showing us with OKC, Minnesota, New York, Indiana."
No veteran leaders remain in the Conference Finals, proving that the young stars are taking control of the NBA. In fact, the Oklahoma City Thunder is the youngest team in the league and the favorites to win the NBA Finals.
Since 2012, when James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Durant were in their prime, there hasn't been a team as young as today's Thunder in the NBA Finals.