Shannon Sharpe bizarrely questions whether being in a stable relationship is necessary to be considered the face of the NBA: “LeBron was in a relationship with Savannah”

LeBron James and Stephen Curry are the current faces of the NBA.

Shannon Sharpe bizarrely questions whether being in a stable relationship is necessary to be considered the face of the NBA: “LeBron was in a relationship with Savannah”

Shannon Sharpe alluded that LeBron James' stable relationship with Savannah James is a standard for the face of the NBA (Image via LeBron James/Open Source/X)

The debate on who is the face of the NBA continues. The debate has long been running for some time. The new generation of players is poised to take over from the greats. But as basketball aficionados debate on what makes a player the face of the NBA, ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe brought in LeBron James. Sharpe thinks James’ stable relationship with his wife should be a reason to be considered as the face of the NBA.

Shannon Sharpe was discussing the topic of the face of the NBA alongside Stephen A. Smith and JJ Redick on First Take. He stated his logic;

Magic and Bird was married. LeBron was in a relationship with Savannah.

After it became apparent that Smith and Redick did not understand what Sharpe was referring to, host Molly Qerim chimed in. She helped Sharpe clarify that the Los Angeles Lakers superstar and his wife Savannah James‘ long and stable relationship is the reason for him being the face of the NBA.

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Qerim mentioned that Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and his wife Ayesha Curry are a similar example. This off-court stability is what Shannon Sharpe thought of when looking for a representative of the league. Sharpe thinks that off-court stability goes in to show the narrative that the league has a face with no problems on and off the court.

JJ Redick did say that some of the earlier faces of the league were not model citizens off the court. But Sharpe’s logic does warrant some thought. LeBron James in his 21st season and Stephen Curry are stable both on and off the court.

Does Shannon Sharpe’s stable relationship theory make sense?

A basketball player in the NBA has to navigate through 82 regular season games and possibly 28 games in the postseason. One has to maintain his drive and commitment to meet and or exceed their set goals. Now, if they have a stable relationship or family setting, the player does not have to focus on those things.

LeBron James and Stephen Curry are the current faces of the NBA due to their stable off court relationships
LeBron James and Stephen Curry are the current faces of the NBA due to their stable off-court relationships, as per Sharpe (image via NBA All-Star/Open Source/X)

An unstable relationship or family setting will be an unwelcome distraction for any player. The league will be in a tight spot if the off-court issues of their face are plastered all over the media. The face of the NBA should be a stable person, on and off the court.

So Shannon Sharpe’s take does have a logic. A player who has a stable home looks good for the league. After all, the NBA does not want a scandal-riddled personality as their face.

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