Wembanyama may have jumped the line for next face of the NBA

After a stellar showing at the NBA All-Star Game, San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama has moved one step closer to becoming the face of the NBA. In fact, I would argue that he is already the face of the NBA alongside LeBron James, who is likely in his final season.

His biggest competition is Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards. However, he is seemingly lagging behind Wembanyama in terms of popularity.

By using jersey sales as a metric of popularity, Wembanyama ranks fourth and is the only player in the top five not to play in New York or California.

To his credit, Edwards ranks a respectable sixth, but it's clear that Wemby has international appeal. Since being drafted, viewership in his home country of France has skyrocketed.

That gives the NBA another international superstar to market and Wemby a major leg up on Edwards. The league's old guard is starting to retire. Thus, the NBA needs fresh faces to market, and Edwards and Wembanyama are the two most obvious choices.

Wembanyama has surpassed Edwards to be the next face of the NBA

Edwards is the best American player under 25 years old. Given that the last seven league MVPs were international players, and the U.S. isn't producing stars like they used to, Ant is the great American hope, so to speak.

That's all well and good, but if Adam Silver has his way, I presume that Wembanyama would be his choice for the next face of the NBA. After all, he is a one-of-one player.

We've seen an Edwards before, but not a 7'4" French center with handles, shooting, and elite defense. Different is good for business, and it's no surprise that his highlights are among the most watched on social media.

International appeal, check; unique game and personality, check; jersey sales, check; and the ability for his highlights to go viral, check. Wembanyama satisfies all the criteria to become the face of the NBA.

He even has a rival, with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Spurs looking like they could be on a playoff collision course for the next several years. Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics needed each other to elevate one another and the NBA.

Wembanyama may need the Thunder for him to truly ascend to the face of the league territory, but he is already well on his way.