The Knicks are right in the middle of the NBA’s changing of the guard

The second round of the NBA playoffs will be without three superstars we’ve loved to watch, especially in the postseason, over the past 20 years.

For the first time since 2005, the rest of the playoffs will not include LeBron James, Steph Curry or Kevin Durant. In more than half of those seasons, at least two of the stars were in a conference semifinal or beyond.

James was in nine NBA Finals, winning two with the Heat, one with the Cavaliers and his most recent with the Lakers in 2020. Curry has won four titles in six Finals appearances with the Warriors (including five in a row), including two alongside Durant in 2017 and 2018.

After James’ Lakers fell to the Nuggets (again!), Durant’s Suns were ousted by the Timberwolves and Curry’s Warriors were eliminated by the Kings in the play-in tournament, the league is turning a new page with the remainder of this postseason, featuring intriguing stars and teams to watch.