Hour 2: Does the NBA Need a Face of the League?

First Take

ESPN Radio

Sports

4.0 • 5.7K Ratings

🗓️ 17 February 2026

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

First Take resumes with the NBA's future. With LeBron, Steph and KD on the brink of retirement, does the NBA need to quickly find a new face of the league? (0:00) Next, KD and the Rockets stumbled heading into the All-Star break. Can they return to form and make noise in the West? (19:30) Then, Stephen A.'s top 5 NBA title contenders. (25:30) Finally, No. 9 overall basketball recruit Dylan Mingo commits live! (34:00) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	From 30 for 30 Podcasts.
0:02.5	Brian Padda, Senior Defensive Lyman from Miami.
0:12.9	Gunned down.
0:14.3	The key to this case, it's Brian.
0:18.0	A hour before he died, he was on the phone, arguing with somebody. This might be a hit. You want the truth. They just want a conviction. Being placed him to arrest. We had a killer amongst us. Murder at the U. Listen now. All right, this is our ESPN NBA Friday double header. Mavs, Timberwolves, Timberts, at 7.30 Eastern, 6.30 Central, then then Clippers Lakers, Ernie, Kenny, Charles, and Shaq tip off coverage at 630.
0:41.8	Let's flashback to All-Star Weekend where Wemby and Ant Man weighed in on the face of the league conversation.
0:49.0	Social media can promote whoever they want, but at the end of the day, it's going to be the best players and who the people ask for you know it's never like being the face of the league it's not
0:59.5	something it's something that can be manufactured but only to some extent and like like
1:05.2	it's only only going to be the best players so this is why it's. You had said, why do I need to be the face of
1:11.9	the league? Y'all have Victor Wenbanyama. But we see a world versus USA format here. Why not have a world and USA face of the league? I'm cool with that. I'm cool with that. I ain't going against that. All right. So two faces of the league? Two faces is cool with me. And you're one of them? Ah, if I get there.
1:27.8	Anthony Edwards playing coy right there.
1:29.6	But this is a conversation that continues to come up. cool with me. And you're one of them? If I get there.
1:29.0	Anthony Edwards playing quite right there. But this is a conversation that continues to
1:31.2	come up, Vinnie. How important is it for
1:33.3	there to be a next face of the league and
1:35.2	NBA? It is important.
1:37.2	And Steve, I want to see where you sit with me
1:39.2	on this one. Okay. I'm a little
1:41.1	disappointed that today's
1:43.4	players, that nobody that really fits the bill
1:46.0	that can fit the qualifications, has stepped forward and said, I want to be the guy.
1:51.0	The reason Victor answered that question was because I asked that.
	...

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