'The future of the NBA': Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Lebron James are positioned as the sturdy foundation of the expanding league

THE scene was game four in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Although the Washington Wizards were at home, it didn't take long for LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to take up residence. Two minutes into the game, James hits a three-point shot. Four minutes later, he drains another three. Seconds later, he makes a fade-away jump shot, then two free throws, then another three-pointer, then another, then a lay-up. By the time the first quarter was complete, James had 18 points, the Wizards had their hands full, the sell-out crowd was silenced, and the league had another entry on highlight reel from the man who's known as "The Chosen One."

Even with the exit of household names like Jordan, Magic and Bird, the National Basketball Association--with the arrival of young stars like James, Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets--continues to thrive and enjoy its greatest success ever.

This summer, the talented threesome will be among an elite group who will represent the country as part of the 2006-2008 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team.

Charismatic and marketable friends, all three came into the NBA in 2003, and have since re-energized the league and rewritten the record books. James, who turned pro right out of high school, was the No. 1 pick in the draft. Anthony--coming off a history-making NCAA championship season at Syracuse University--was selected third in the draft. The fifth selection was Wade, who came to the NBA after some spectacular performances at Marquette University.

But just as fate led the three from humble beginnings to hoop dreams, in three short years, fate (and an abundance of skills) has also led these three to NBA superstardom, becoming the front men in a $3 billion-a-year global entertainment and business juggernaut that influences everything from fashion and music to hairstyles and lingo.

In an exclusive interview with Ebony, Wade calls his leadership role with the NBA, "a dream come true," he says. "To be in this position, to be a young player in the league and be one of the guys they say is the face of the league is great. You have to look at it as an opportunity. You only play this game for so long. I just want to do it the right way. Just go out every night and perform at a high level and be a classy guy off the court."

For Wade, the bright lights of the NBA are a far cry from life growing up on the South Side of Chicago. His basketball skills got the attention of several coaches at colleges and universities across the country. After much consideration and input from his family, he eventually chose Marquette University and later decided to forgo his senior year to enter the NBA. Since then--and with the help of Shaquille O'Neal, who was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Heat during Wade's second season in Miami--the man fans call "Flash" has emerged as a top superstar, one who's so popular that his Miami Heat jersey sales for the 2005-2006 season sold more than any other NBA player's jersey.

In the 2004-2005 season, Wade became the seventh player in NBA history to average 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field in a playoff series (the others are Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan). "I think guys respect me, not because I talk a lot, but because I go out there every night and I try to show them that I can play," he says.

The route that the Miami Heat's star took to the NBA was nothing like that of 21-year-old James, who has been in the spotlight since he was a sophomore at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. By that time, his first year in high school he was already been crowned as Ohio's "Mr. Basketball" and was named Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. He was so popular, attracting such unprecedented numbers of spectators, that his team had to move their games from its school gym to the nearby arena at the University of Akron. Celebrities attended the games and a few were even broadcast on national television, and regionally on pay-per-view.

Even before James played a single NBA game, he was awarded with an unprecedented $90 million shoe contract by Nike. "I hear that word pressure, all the time," James said in an interview during his first season in the NBA. "There is a lot of pressure put on me, but I don't put a lot of pressure on myself. I feel if I play my game, it will take care of itself."

James has lived up to the hype. In his first season in the NBA, he was voted Rookie of the Year, averaging 20.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game (joining Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only three players to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a rookie season). By this past season, James had led his team to a winning record and a playoff berth.

LeBron, who many observers believe should have won this year's MVP award (that was awarded to Steve Nash of the PhoenIx Suns), is considered to be one of the most gifted and versatile players in the NBA. His dribbling and passing ability have been compared to the skills of NBA legend Magic Johnson. His scoring prowess has led to comparisons of childhood idol Michael Jordan. (He wears No. 23 in honor of Jordan.) At 6-foot-8, 240 pounds, James may be only 21, but he is "the man" on the basketball court. "I just do what I have to do, and go out and be myself, on and off the court, and take care of my obligations," James has said. "That's generally your own destiny--knowing what you have to take care of."