With Kobe Bryant in the twilight of his storied career, the time has come to figure out who will be the next face of the NBA. Kevin Durant and LeBron James are both poised to become that player but who should it really be?

.

To begin, many athletes who are/were faces of their respective sport have had a controversy that has surrounded them. Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods are two shining examples.

.

When it comes to LeBron, it’s no secret that there are many people who have a strong dislike for the man and for a number of reasons. Many people didn’t like the way LeBron was so strongly marketed as a high school kid, being labeled King James well before he was drafted. As soon as he entered the league he was classified by many as, “the chosen one” as well and who can forget the Kobe-LeBron puppet commercials ESPN did throughout the 2008-2009 season only to see LeBron’s team not even make the NBA Finals that year as Kobe won his third of five rings.

.

But the two biggest controversies that surrounded LeBron came at the end of the 2009-2010 season when he blatantly gave up and quit on his team at the end of Cleveland’s heartbreaking loss to the Boston Celtics and the way he went about his decision to take his talents to south beach. While ‘the decision’ was seen by many as an arrogant move on LeBron’s part, the event also went to his charity. That did not stop fans from taking to the streets and burning LeBron memorabilia and stating how much they hated LeBron for the whole world to hear.

.

Kevin Durant meanwhile is the polar opposite. A quiet guy who took a big contract extension from Oklahoma City to stay in the small market, Durant is a guy who anybody that’s a basketball fan loves to watch. This is a guy who has the length of a power forward and the quickness, ball handling skills and jump shot of an elite guard. Unlike LeBron, Durant was not heralded as the next big thing. In fact, the time between when his year of college basketball at the University of Texas and when he was drafted, many thought that Durant would be a flop. He had poor workouts and was seen as someone who at best would become a role player that perhaps played on multiple teams. Five years later he’s now considered one of the three best players the league has to offer. Durant is much more self-made than LeBron.

.

One thing that needs to be factored into the equation is how the league markets these players and any other sponsorship’s the players have or acquire. If a company chooses to make a series with one of these guys (Kobe System, Fast Don’t Lie, etc), then that player could have the advantage over the other if both don’t get one anyway. It’s to the point where the next mishap by either player could cost them being the face of the league.

.

In terms of location, LeBron has an advantage in the market he’s in. Miami is one of the premier cities our nation has to offer and is rich in pro sports and college sports tradition. However, the Dolphins, Marlins and the University of Miami have fallen on hard times in recent years and the Heat are the hottest ticket in Miami (no pun intended). That’s very far from Durant’s situation. Oklahoma City is a small Midwestern city that isn’t heavily marketed by the east coast or west coast media kings. While the Thunder have been outstanding the last couple of years, and even combined with the fact that they are the only professional sports team in Oklahoma, they will always be second to Oklahoma Sooner football. It would take one bad season for the Thunder to see a significant decrease in ticket sales. But the Sooners sell out every single game and Sooners football is larger than life for many people there.

.

Like or not, this year’s NBA finals could very well be the determining factor as to who’s the next face of the league. But for now, sit back, relax and enjoy the show. You’re watching two of the finest athletes you may ever watch in your life.

.

Written by: Michael Zahorky