James and Curry were eliminated one after another, and now is the era of young superstars

On May 16, the 2025 NBA playoffs are destined to be recorded in history - the Lakers led by LeBron James lost to the Nuggets 1-4 in the first round, and Stephen Curry's Warriors failed to break through the playoffs. When 39-year-old James scored 30 points and 11 assists on the Denver Plateau but could not stop the defeat, when 37-year-old Curry sat on the bench and watched the young Edwards speeding on the court, a cruel reality was placed in front of all fans: the "Janku era" that had dominated the league for more than ten years was crushed by the whistling youth storm.

**The veteran is not dead, but he is withered**

James has delivered an average of 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists this season, becoming the first "39-year-old 25+7+8" player in NBA history. But behind the data is a shocking physical crisis: the shooting rate fell to 34% at critical moments, and the defensive efficiency hit a career low. In the series with the Nuggets, he made three fatal mistakes in the final quarter due to physical overdrawing, and his former dominance of "all-out James" is being eroded by time. Curry also faced the dilemma of physical decline. His three-point shooting percentage in the regular season fell below 38% for the first time. The scene of 1 of 9 three-pointers made in the key playoffs was a pity. The two legends are still burning the residual heat, but the flames are no longer as fierce as they were back then.

**New King Dangli's signal**

When Edwards led the team to sweep the Suns for four consecutive games in the playoffs, when Doncic led the Mavericks to the Western Conference Final with averaging 35+ triple-double per game, and when Tatum smashed the defending champion's defense line of 50 points in a single game, these supernova under 25 are using their actions to declare the handover of the scepter. Data reveals the inevitability of the change of times: in the top ten of the playoff scoring list this season, eight people are under 28 years old; in the MVP shortlist, Jokic (30 years old) is already the "oldest" competitor. The new generation of players combines the solid skills of old-school players and the violent aesthetics of the new era. Edwards's dunk and Doncic's magical pass are redefining the aesthetics of the game.

**The inevitable choice under business logic**

League President Adam Xiao Hua has promoted in recent years. The "New Load Management Policy" implies deep meaning: forcing stars to play 65 games for the first time in the 2024-25 season to be qualified for awards, but in fact it lays the stage for young players. The broadcaster prefers to live broadcast games of youth troops such as Thunder and Magic, and the ratings of these teams have increased by 23% year-on-year. Sponsors have turned to signing new stars such as Morant and Vinban Yama. The quarterly sales of Under Armour endorsed by Curry have been overtaken by Edwards' Adidas series. Capital votes with real money and silver, confirming the business law of "winning young people and winning the world".

**The intergenerational gap of the technological revolution**

Modern training system has given birth to a more terrifying basketball machine: Wenban Yama uses AI analysis system to increase the accuracy of block prediction to 78%, and Halliburton increases the passing speed by 11% through biomechanical optimization. In contrast, veterans, James still insists on traditional video analysis, and Curry relies on ten years of unchanging shooting muscle memory. The medical team revealed that the new generation of players adopts nano-level recovery technology, and their post-match fatigue index is 40% lower than that of the veteran. When Edwards finished the flat basket dunk and said with a smile, "This is not enough to use all your strength yet," the technical generation difference is clearly visible.

**Dialectics of farewell and inheritance**

On the night the Warriors were eliminated, Curry gave his signature sneakers to the Timberwolves McDaniels; after the Lakers eliminated, James and Jokic's ten-minute hug was interpreted as a torch relay. Behind these warm moments is the cruel rules of competitive sports: in the past decade, James Curry has teamed up to win 7 championships, 10 MVPs, and 19 best teams, but now they have to give up from the center of the stage. As Jordan said when the Wizards came back: "One day, basketball will take the initiative to leave you. "

History is always surprisingly similar. In 2007, Duncan said to James "The future is yours", and this sentence is reappearing in the new generation's mouth 18 years later. The difference is that this time it was not a certain pride of heaven, but a group of thirsty young predators. When Edwards played the highlights of James' 2007 finals in the locker room and shouted "It's time for us", a new era of heroes was already kicking off. Perhaps fans should be glad that we have witnessed the glorious afterglow of the old era and the rising sun of the new era - this is also the most beautiful appearance of basketball.