With Lakers and Suns losing, NBA Playoffs enter a new era with new faces

For years, the NBA has witnessed the greatness of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant.

Fans from all walks of life know their names and what they have been able to accomplish for so many years during their time in the NBA. They've taken their teams deep into the playoffs and even won a couple of rings in the process.

However, all three of their teams are eliminated following the Los Angeles Lakers' Game 5 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. The Phoenix Suns were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, and the Golden State Warriors didn't make it out of the Play-In Tournament.

In fact, for the first time since 2005, the second round of the playoffs will not feature LeBron, Steph, and KD.

With LeBron, KD, and Steph out, NBA enters a new phase

The NBA may now be entering a new phase. James, Durant, and Curry are all aging, and their teams fell short in either the first round or earlier.

But this goes to show just how much these stars have impacted the game and created entertainment for fans in all walks of life. Back in 2005, James was only in his second year in the NBA, and Curry and Durant were not around just yet. James helped transform the Cleveland Cavaliers twice in his career and did the same for the Miami Heat when he joined forces with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.

In fact, before the Warriors' heyday, LeBron appeared in every NBA Finals matchup from 2011-18 and returned to the finals with the Lakers in 2020.

Durant helped transform the Oklahoma City Thunder into a contender and guided them on several deep playoff runs, while Curry came into his own and took the Warriors to six NBA Finals matchups from 2015-22, winning four rings.

So, for all three of these players to not even reach the second round is almost unfathomable for fans who have witnessed their greatness for decades. Deep playoff runs have essentially been synonymous with the three stars. It goes to show just how great they all have been for so long but also may be signaling a changing of the guard in the NBA. James may not even return to the Lakers this summer. That may ultimately depend on what happens with his son, Bronny James.

Rising stars such as Anthony Edwards, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokic are taking the spotlight now. It's safe to say that the NBA might be entering a new era heralded by a burgeoning class of young stars.

This certainly doesn't take away from the greatness of James, Curry, and Durant, and it also doesn't mean we won't see them make deep playoff runs in the near future. But for now, it's time to sit back and watch a new generation of stars step into the spotlight.