NBA Players As <i>Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</i> Characters

Warning: Spoilers ahead

After a reasonably middling Phase Four, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had lost some steam after exhausting itself over six films, nine TV series, and one Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation. Heading into this phase’s tenth and final film, Marvel needed a surefire win to boost a hopeful return to world domination. Director Ryan Coogler returned to Wakanda for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and crafted one of the top five Marvel films ever.

Wakanda Forever picks up after the passing of T’Challa the Black Panther, which Marvel decided to implement after the untimely passing of actor Chadwick Boseman. This film focuses on the trauma left on Wakanda after T’Challa’s death, specifically his younger sister Shuri and his mother, Queen Ramonda. It also introduces a parallel hidden country, Talocan, ruled by Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta, which has also utilized Vibranium.

With the Black Panther’s throne left empty, Namor strikes Wakanda, sending the two countries on a collision course toward all-out war. The vacuum left by the Black Panther’s passing reflects the current parity of the NBA. With defending champion Golden State Warriors off to a slow start, the NBA is wide-open for a new champion. We’ve drawn parallels between the heroes and villains of Wakanda Forever with the current crop of NBA superstars to role-play which players most resemble the film’s dynamic cast of characters.

When Jalen Brunson left the heliocentric hemisphere of the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Dončić, he set off to start his own hero’s journey with the New York Knicks. The weight that comes with being “the man” in New York is not for everyone. Fortunately, Brunson has the intelligence, stoicism, and grit to pick up the mantle the Knicks have long needed at point guard.

While Brunson has not had to deal with the insurmountable grief and loss as Shuri (thankfully), he has had immense expectations and doubt, both of which he has more than met the challenge. In his first season with the team, he’s already averaging 20 ppg, 6.9 apg, 3.6 rpg, and 1.2 spg while shooting 49.4% from the field. His points and assists are career highs. Brunson must also have the superpower of foresight, for the Mavericks fell into shambles once he left. The team has never been more one-dimensional or a one-person team. Brunson is now the leader of a new era in Knicks basketball, where he’s the main character without even trying.

A foreigner from a distant land who speaks many languages and seems superhuman? It could easily be either Namor or Luka Dončić. Like Namor, Dončić busted out the gate as an immediate heir to greatness. His combination of strength, court vision, three-level scoring, and a clutch gene unseen since LeBron James came into the league in 2003. Dončić went into this season as our odds-on favorite to win MVP and has been putting on a superhuman stat line thus far: 29.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 7.8 apg, and 2.1 spg. And boy, do the Mavs need him to be their hero. Of any NBA superstar, Dončić plays with the worst supporting cast in decades. In his fifth season with Dallas, the team has failed to build a contender around the generational talent, leaving the door open for Dončić to eventually get tired of having to do just about everything and find a new city to call his kingdom.

The central issue at the core of Namor is the precipice at which he stands between revenge and peace. He wants to protect his people at all costs while also doing everything he can to avoid all-out war with the surface world. He is desperate for an ally, like Dončić, who could use anything above a star-level player. Unfortunately, he’s left with a roster full of mediocre, one-dimensional bums, leading him to take his frustrations out on the rest of the league.

The genius inside the armored suit of Ironheart is MIT protegee Riri Williams, one of the most brilliant minds in the MCU. In both the comics and the film, she follows in the footsteps of Tony Stark as one of the world’s most intelligent people and as a protector of Earth in an iron suit of armor. In the film, she is a fish out of water in Wakanda, with the entire world suddenly aware of her presence, all wanting her for her abilities. To have her on your side gives you an evolutionary edge against any opponent.

That sounds a hell of a lot like this year’s number-one draft pick, Paolo Banchero. Banchero plays like he was created in Riri’s lab. He has the broad, chiseled physique of a power forward, the handle and court vision of a guard, and the first step and scoring ability of a wing. Like Riri, he now has the full attention of opposing teams, desperate to contain him. But that isn’t happening anytime soon at 25.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg, and 3.6 apg. Rarely does the number one pick so quickly become the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, but in both his and Riri’s cases, they are the future.

Without giving away spoilers, the clock is ticking on Queen Ramdona’s time on the throne. She is trying to keep her kingdom afloat as the elder statesman of a legendary dynasty, similar to LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers. But Ramona knows that for Wakanda to survive and thrive, she needs to repair the damage the death of T’Challa has had on her country and, most importantly, her daughter, Shuri.

James is facing a similar crossroads. The best path forward for the team might be to move their second-best player Anthony Davis. Their once-great franchise has faltered since their 2020 title and is now filled with ill-fitting pieces, a lack of shooting, and a shaky defense. James has seen it all at 27 years old and in his 20th season. He’s seen empires rise and fall, yet the second-greatest player of all time has remained. How long he can keep his team relevant remains to be seen. But like Ramona, nobody has a better chance at rallying the troops and galvanizing their spirits towards an epic turn of fortunes.

In Wakanda Forever, the fierce leader of the Dora Milaje, is stripped of her title by Queen Ramonda after her arrogance and pride get the best of her, losing Shuri and Riri Williams to Namor’s forces. The loss is the last straw for Ramonda, who has stood by Okoye in the past when she has defied reason and royal orders, acting out on her own.

Irving is set to return this Sunday after missing two weeks and missing eight games from suspension over sharing a film on his social media that propagated Jewish conspiracy theories and used Adolf Hitler quotes to prove its point. Like Okoye, Irving is on the outside looking in. It took a changing of the guard for Okoye to be reinstated in the good graces of the Black Panther’s family. Irving was forced to undergo a ridiculous laundry list of woke works at the edict of Nets’ owner, Joe Tsai. Tsai’s Alibaba company lacks the respectable nobility of Wakanda and is more in line with the morally ambiguous, contradictory values of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s shadowy CIA.

Since he first appeared in the first Black Panther, M’Baku, leader of the Jabari Tribe, has had his eye on the throne of Wakanda. He challenged T’Challa but lost dramatically. There has never been any doubt in M’Baku’s strength and abilities. He has helped save the world against the forces of Thanos twice and was an integral part of Shuri defending Wakanda against Namor’s forces. But no matter how hard the regal giant had been, he has never known what it feels like to be the top dog.

The same can be said for Embiid, who has been on a six-year “Trust the Process” timeline, hoping to win a championship eventually. He’s had many sidekicks over the years, Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Markelle Fultz, Tyrese Maxey, and now James Harden. Embiid has yet to reach the Finals or Conference Finals, even though he is the most dominant offensive big man. He’s also lost out on the MVP award to another big man, Denver’s Nikola Jokić. It’s hard to imagine a multiverse where Embiid doesn’t eventually claim the throne and the title of the best big man in the NBA.