[Basketball, Harlem Globetrotters. Photo Credit to Pixabay]

The NBA is undergoing a significant generational shift.

On April 21, the Playoff, the National Basketball Association’s(NBA) process toward the end of a season, commenced.

However, NBA fans are focused on another issue:the clear generational shift of the NBA era.

In the 2024 NBA Playoff, rising stars aged in their 20s make remarkable strides. They are eliminating famous stars who have endured numerous NBA seasons.

Notable among these young talents are Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Nikola Jokić, a Serbian basketball player, is currently considered as the pioneer of the NBA generational shift. He is a center of the Denver Nuggets, and his current age is 29.

He has won three Season MVP awards in total over the past four years, and even the Final MVP with the NBA Championship last season.

His performance has been instrumental in the generational shift, eliminating many NBA star players from the tournament.

Luka Dončić is a 25 years old Slovenian basketball player of the Dallas Mavericks. He debuted in 2018 and has been spotlighted as the next NBA superstar, showing off his skills that are growing day by day, season by season.

Credible experts have high hopes for him, predicting that he will lead a new generation in the NBA in she future and win a multiple Season MVP awards

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards are both expected to be the NBA's star players of the next generation, starting in the 2024 season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a 25 years old Canadian player who currently leads the Oklahoma City Thunders. He has been recording a ‘near-MVP’ stats in this season based on his explosive scoring ability, and has even been named the second MVP candidate of the year. (Third candidate is Luka Dončić)

Anthony Edwards is a 22 years old player from the USA who is currently in charge of the ‘young ace’ of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Not only for his explosive athleticism and brilliant skills, he is expected to be the future NBA superstar with his strong responsibility and leadership despite his young age.

What these four players all have in common is their outperformance of current NBA superstars, who are all in their 30s, in overall performance, including the playoffs.

This season, many star players, including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, were eliminated in tournaments by young players.

The current oldest player in the league, LeBron James, at age 40, is considered the best player in NBA history with the most points scored in the league, including four NBA championships, Final MVPs, and Season MVPs.

However, despite his legacy, was eliminated 4-1 by Nikola Jokić's Denver Nuggets in the Playoff first round this season.

Stephen Curry, a 36-year-old veteran of the league, is an NBA superstar who has four NBA championships, one Final MVP, the first unanimous Season MVP in NBA history, and the league's all-time record for most three-point shots.

His team, the Golden State Warriors, failed to make the playoffs this season with a record of 10th place in the Western Conference.

Kevin Turant, a 35-year-old veteran of the league, is also an NBA superstar who has been rated four NBA championships, two Final MVPs, one Season MVP, and the league's all-time great scorers.

He was eliminated 4-1 by Anthony Edwards' Minnesota Timberwolves.

Even on May 23, the NBA released a statistic indicating a generational shift.

This statistic is called the All-NBA Team, and the NBA announces the 3 teams composed of the league's best fifteen players. The first team represents the league's best players by position, followed by the second and third teams.

Below is the list of 2024 All-NBA Team:

• 2024 All-NBA First Team:
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
  • Luka Dončić
  • Jayson Tatum
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo
  • Nikola Jokić

• 2024 All-NBA Second Team
  • Jalen Brunson
  • Anthony Edwards
  • Kevin Durant
  • Kawhi Leonard
  • Anthony Davis

• 2024 All-NBA Third Team
  • Devin Booker
  • Stephen Curry
  • Tyrese Haliburton
  • LeBron James
  • Domantas Sabonis

As illustrated in the statistics above, the first team, which symbolizes the best players in each position, includes Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, and Shai Gilgeous Alexander; Anthony Edwards and Kevin Durant in the second team; and LeBron James and Stephen Curry in the third team.

LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant still proved their steadiness as a league veteran, but now as the young players replaced the first team instead of them, showing that the NBA's generational shift is now definitely taking place.

Currently, while feeling bad for the end of the dynasties of former star players who dominated a generation, fans are waiting for the upcoming NBA Playoff Final, looking forward to the creation of a new superstar to lead the league.