Steph Curry Says The Next NBA Face Will Just Happen

     It was an off-season moment with plenty of weight, yet Stephen Curry didn’t try to pick a winner. In a recent chat with The Athletic, the veteran guard of the Golden State Warriors addressed the swirling conversation about who will become the next “face of the NBA.” Rather than pointing at one player and saying “that’s the guy,” Curry took a step back, saying: “That stuff takes care of itself.”

For decades, Curry has been one of the game’s most recognizable figures. Four-time champion, longtime All-Star, multi-time MVP candidate, he’s been there, seen the limelight, and knows what the badge of “face of the league” can carry. But the notion of handing that title like a baton? He’s uninterested. “I don’t get caught up in that,” he told The Athletic. “When I was coming up, there was never a conversation. Until you got to the Finals, other people started talking about it.”

In other words, the crown doesn’t come from prediction or hype; it comes from earning it. Curry dropped a few names of players he admires and considers among the leading candidates: Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards, Luka Dončić, Victor Wembanyama, Jayson Tatum and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He emphasized that all these players bring something special, but none have the title locked down simply because we say so.

And when asked what he wants to see from the next generation, Curry says he hopes they become great ambassadors for the game. He said he hopes the players on that list, and any others who rise, reflect the sport in a positive light, both on and off the court. It’s not just about highlight-reel dunks or 50-point games, he argued; it’s about representing a sport, a culture, the fans who grew up watching, and the ones who will come after.

One interesting angle is that Curry’s view reflects humility and a longer-term lens. In an era when social media hype can inflate a name overnight, he’s reminding everyone that roles like “face of the NBA” historically emerge through consistency, team success, and staying power, not just individual flashes. For someone who reinvented the three-point revolution and altered how teams build around shooters, that’s fitting.

Of course, Curry hasn’t hung up his jersey yet. He remains a high-performing veteran, leading the Warriors into a season where expectations are still high and the mission stays the same: compete for championships. And while he’s performing, he remains present in the bigger picture of the league’s evolution. “I hope there’s an energy towards being great ambassadors for the game, whoever the group of guys are,” he said.

So what does this mean for fans, for players, and for the future? For fans, it’s a signal not to worry too much about labels. The next “face” will reveal themselves in time, through actions, not just chatter. For young players, the message is clearer: don’t chase being the “face” simply for fame. Focus on your game, your character, your impact. And for the NBA, it suggests the league is still in transition, maybe moving from one marquee era, Curry’s era, toward a more collective leadership model, or even a “faces” model, instead of just “the face.”

In short, Curry is passing the question back to time. He’s saying: “Let the next chapter write itself.” Whether it’s Wembanyama’s freaky length and potential, Dončić’s all-around dominance, or another young star still rising, the job isn’t about wearing the crown, it’s about earning the throne. And as Curry knows, that takes season after season, playoff after playoff, and a whole lot more than a highlight reel.