On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Vincent Goodwill discuss the face of the NBA.
0:00 How important is it?
4:30 Avoiding being the face?
9:00 Impact off the court
13:00 LeBron as the face of the league
✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/
#ESPN #NBA #FirstTake


@timothybright9585
February 18, 2026 at 1:28 am
Who is the face of the league in the NFL?
@rackball5858
February 18, 2026 at 1:45 am
For the last 20+ years it’s typically been 2 or 3 qbs all at the same time:
03-08 // Brady, Manning, Favre
11-15 // Brady, Manning, Rodgers
16-18 // Brady, Rodgers
19-22 // Brady, Mahomes, Rodgers
Mahomes, Allen, Jackson since.
The NFL does a better job promoting rivalries between teams & quarterbacks. Something the NBA under Stern excelled at.
@JodieLane-ou4ys
February 18, 2026 at 1:38 am
Nobody, who wants to be the face of the NBA. It’s a new era now, all they do is shoot three-pointers. You can thank Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson for that s***
@JohnBrownBestAmericanEver
February 18, 2026 at 1:40 am
King James!
@positivevibez22
February 18, 2026 at 1:44 am
Stephen a smith played a part in people not wanting to be the face anytime they don’t win he got something to say
@kevindickerson9513
February 18, 2026 at 1:45 am
These youngs guys only care bout their money theses clowns only one talking bout face of league
@taylor5r
February 18, 2026 at 1:46 am
Bro Iman funny af 😂
@mrneene5070
February 18, 2026 at 1:58 am
Stephen A doesn’t speak FOR BLACK MEN in DA USA
@Justleevsss
February 18, 2026 at 1:58 am
te irony behind sas saying thumb thugs lmao
@MarcusFromLosAngeles
February 18, 2026 at 2:05 am
They want to be the face but none of them have a scottie willing to be scottie. When you team up stars it’s not the same. They all want to be friends.
If i team up stars how can we say hey that’s the face of the league when 2 or 3 top 10 picks team up
Shai not the face because overwhelming amount of fans hate his play style
@deepaknambisan3251
February 18, 2026 at 2:07 am
Spot on. See also King Canute etc.
@brandoncrockett9266
February 18, 2026 at 2:09 am
Iman gets it
@MrThroatlover
February 18, 2026 at 2:12 am
If mj should be the logo. Bill Russell , wilt should been logo before him. And now LeBron should be it definitely 🤴
@Goonz420
February 18, 2026 at 2:16 am
goofy a smith the goofy goober
@rabejw
February 18, 2026 at 2:20 am
FACE OF ZESTINESS, ZIONISM AND GENOCIDE🤮
@jthugg2013
February 18, 2026 at 2:20 am
Alot of the American born players don’t take the league serious that’s why their always getting injured they don’t put in the work outside game maintaining their body in shape and strong
@Muhammad.AlMasjid.Musafir
February 18, 2026 at 2:25 am
Now i know dude aint skip over kobe when naming the old faces of the league 😮 1:32
@David2025-k6z
February 18, 2026 at 2:27 am
Who wants to be the face of an embarrassing league called the NBA? The players are telling us what they think about the NBA
@Muhammad.AlMasjid.Musafir
February 18, 2026 at 2:33 am
Shaq and kobe did 3peat i think they were going for four 7:50
@hulioortiz6988
February 18, 2026 at 2:33 am
I know he’s in a small market but dude in Philly should be the face, he gets into no trouble, super skilled. They dont market him. Im a Celtics fan but dude in philly a killa
@herman6100
February 18, 2026 at 2:33 am
Exactly what I said before. Yall can talk about LBJ but who’s next? I really think the NBA just might hit all time lows in the coming years
@stephensmelley2939
February 18, 2026 at 2:37 am
The logo is just fine!
@nposeofficial2153
February 18, 2026 at 2:42 am
Shump criminally underrated and can carry this show better everybody SaS aside
@jameswilliams7725
February 18, 2026 at 2:43 am
Why do they have to care what the old dudes think
@Valorant_Dem0n97
February 18, 2026 at 2:46 am
There’s no face in the league anymore because there’s too many good players bro lol
@Himji-Winsmoke
February 18, 2026 at 2:53 am
Jordan never said he wanted to be the face. He became it by winning.