Just in case you weren't paying attention, the NBA is still searching for the next "air" to the throne. Yes, three years into the post-Jordan era, the league has yet to find the one go-to-guy who can fill every arena on the road and sell every inch of space to a corporate sponsor.

IMG's Merle Scott, Toronto Raptor forward Vince Carter's agent, likens what the NBA is trying to do to the passing of a torch. But, as Scott, said, "this ain't the torch

	Could MJ have co-existed with Shaq any better than Kobe?

they pass on in the Olympics." Rather, it is a heavy torch, weighed down by the impossible burden of replacing the seemingly irreplaceable. Scott's message to the NBA: Give up now.

"The (executives in the) NBA should resign themselves and understand that there isn't that one guy," he said. "There are a number of very good players out there right now and none of them are poised to be the next Michael Jordan."

Carter, along with Shaquille O'Neal, Grant Hill, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett all have -- at one time -- been named Jordan's heir apparent. But, without the "can't miss" superstar, national endorsements among the NBA's top crop have fallen in recent years. Sports marketing executives approximate that in 2001, only 25 national endorsements will be signed by NBA players -- about a 50 percent decrease from when No. 23 was flying through the friendly skies of the United Center.

The decline might be due to the fact that three of the NBA's top players have had troubled pasts, including run-ins with their coaches, the league and the law. Or perhaps it is the emergence of individual sport athletes, like golfers and race car drivers, who have taken a larger piece of the endorsement pie from NFL and NBA players.

So, here we take our top 10 players in the NBA this year, a list based on statistical performance and the player's value to their team, and rank them from 1 to 10 in terms of their immediate endorsement future:

	O'Neal

No. 1: Shaquille O'Neal, Lakers, C

Stock: Even.

National endorsements: CBS Sportsline, Digex, Dunk.net, Midway (interactive games), Nestle, Topps.

The deal: Shaq, the NBA's endorsement leader since MJ left the game, has been among the most likeable athlete endorsers, thanks to his ability to relate to kids and his extra big smile. His experience as a rapper and actor, which includes five albums and three movies, makes him easy to work with since he understands the ins and outs of the business. But there is a downside to Shaq. He's taken many risks, and some say that associating himself with dot-bombs such as his own dunk.net and freeinternet.com, as well as the now bankrupt theme restaurant, All-Star Cafe, has hurt his credibility.

"He's gone too avant guard with choosing independent ventures rather than solid and reliable major companies," said Brandon Steiner, chairman of Steiner Sports Marketing, whose New York firm arranges endorsement deals. "If Shaq was a stock, he came out of the gate hot, but now he's gone full circle."

Shaq's agent, Leonard Armato, defends the choices he has made for his client: "You have to take certain amount of risk," Armato said. "All successful businessmen have their successes and failures along the way. Thomas Edison failed at inventing the light bulb 999,999 times before he got it right." Sports marketers tend to be mixed on whether Joe and Joanna Blow can relate to a 7-footer. Steiner said centers are "too freakish," but Mark Levine, vice president of corporate communications for Millsport, said, "there's still something mystical about a center."

	Bryant

No. 2: Kobe Bryant, Lakers, G

Stock: On the rise.

National endorsements: adidas, Broadband Sports, Giorgio Armani, GTE, Mattel, McDonald's, Nintendo, Spaulding, Sprite, Upper Deck.

The deal: Some might rank Kobe first since the number of current deals he has signed now appears to rival his teammate. Perhaps the only thing holding Bryant back from the top is the perception of his "me" attitude. "The timing for Kobe was right for Kobe to get that championship, but in order for him to really take off as an endorser, he needs to be viewed team instead of an individual player," said Bob Williams, president of Burns Sports, a company that matches corporations with athletes for endorsements. Levine of Millsport, a sports marketing firm whose clients include Verizon and Sony, said he believes the much-publicized ego feud between Shaq and Kobe, will wind up hurting Kobe more. "I think the perception is that this is more Kobe's fault, ... and he needs to defer a little more to Shaq than Shaq needs to defer to him," he said. As long as Bryant stays in L.A. and the team keeps winning, he should surpass O'Neal by next season.

	Carter

No. 3: Vince Carter, Raptors, SG

Stock: On the rise.

National endorsements: Bell Canada, Dave & Buster's, Fleer, Gatorade, Kellogg's (Canada), Nike, Wilson.

The deal: So here's the essential question in the sports business world: If Carter wasn't in Canada would he be No. 1 on this list? Some say playing in Toronto is comparable to playing in a small market in the U.S. and that Carter would benefit most by playing in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. But his agent objects to that reasoning. "Do those people think that kids won't wear Nike or won't drink Gatorade because Vince plays in Canada?" Scott said. "I don't recall seeing any national commercials with a Chicago Bulls player in it this year, because they don't have that player. And I don't recall seeing any national commercials with a New York Knicks player in it, because they don't have the guy." Scott said he believes that a player's ability to bring his team to the next level is more important than where he plays. "The guy hasn't won a playoff game yet, but when he helps boost the team to a higher level, he could be playing in Topeka, Kan., and he'd still be the guy," Scott said. According to a poll by Harris Interactive, Carter is the most likeable NBA player with an 88 percent favorable rating among the general population. Carter is the closest to Jordan, who hovered around 96 percent during the last few seasons of his career. Getting out of his Puma deal last summer and signing on with Nike provided a boost to his endorsement roster.

	Garnett

No. 4: Kevin Garnett, Timberwolves, SF

Stock: Even.

National endorsements: American Express, And 1, EA Sports, Hallmark, Wilson's Leather, Upper Deck.

The deal: Unlike the top two, Kevin Garnett does not rap and according to his agent he's the true entrepreneur out of the younger NBA stars. "He doesn't want to be a rapper with his own a label," Garnett's agent, Andy Miller, said. "He wants to distribute and market four rappers." Garnett certainly is in to doing his own thing. He's the majority shareholder in OOC (Our Own Company), an upscale clothing line that will debut in the coming weeks. Miller said Garnett does well in the corporate world because companies perceive him as a lower-risk NBA athlete. "He doesn't go to a lot of parties, he doesn't drink, smoke or hang out with a bad group of guys," Miller said. When asked if Garnett, Bryant or McGrady face any disadvantages in the marketing arena since all three jumped from high school to the NBA, Miller said he didn't know if a college degree was "an attractive or enticing characteristic." Garnett, being out of a top 10 market, needs to help the Timberwolves make it deeper in the playoffs to get into the top three.

	McGrady

No. 5: Tracy McGrady, Magic, SG

Stock: On the rise.

National endorsements: adidas, Athlete's Direct.

The deal: Tracy McGrady is certainly an up-and-comer, but his Sam Perkins-like appearance while playing gives the impression that he's not too excitable. "His charisma is in question right now," Williams said. "He doesn't sparkle like Vince and Kobe do." But if anyone needs to appeal to the 12- to 24-year-old target audience, the closest thing might be 21-year-old McGrady. "He's a kid's kid," Steiner said. "You can tell because he still dresses like a kid. He sits in that locker room in a sweatsuit" while his teammates are dressed in suits.

	Webber

No. 6: Chris Webber, Kings, PF

Stock: Even.

National endorsements: Athlete's Direct.

The deal: Despite run-ins with the law, Chris Webber is still one of the hottest players in the sport. Webber won a contract dispute with Fila in 1999 after the company terminated his contract when a customs agent found marijuana in his carry-on baggage. Things have been slow since he fired his agent in December, and he's the only one in the top 10 who doesn't have a shoe deal. But Webber might be on the rebound and could be the sleeper in the coming season, especially if the eccentric Kings can get to the next level. Sacramento might be considered a small market, but the team often is featured on national television. Williams said that Webber's constant changing of teams -- with a potential to be on a new team next season -- will not hurt his endorsement potential if he stays on a team long enough to be associated with it.

	Duncan

No. 7: Tim Duncan, Spurs PF

Stock: On the decline.

National endorsements: Famous Fixins (Slam Duncan's), Nortel, Nike, SeaWorld, Sprite, Topps.

The deal: Lack of charisma has relegated Duncan to the bottom half of this list. "He's a lot like Pete Sampras," Williams said. "He's one of the best, but the guy doesn't really seek out endorsements. He doesn't want to market himself and it shows." The Spurs quick drop from the playoffs after winning the NBA title in 1999 lowered Duncan's potential and a fierce climb back to the top this season would be necessary for the conservative center to move up the list. "I'd agree that he's not someone who is looking to market himself across a broad spectrum," said Duncan's agent, Lon Babby. "But he's also very selective of who he picks and when he wants to do something."

	Payton

No. 8: Gary Payton, Supersonics PG

Stock: On the decline.

National endorsements: athletenow.com, Nike.

The deal: Gary Payton's fierce game face makes him hard to read and his team's slide in the playoffs -- despite great regular season efforts -- has made him a hard sell for companies. For some reason, unlike the perception of Shaq and Grant Hill, Payton will always carry the aftertaste of Dream Team III. Payton's trash-talking also isn't as sexy in the eyes of corporate decision-makers as, say, Shannon Sharpe's or Jason Sehorn's. But maybe that's because talking trash can turn too ugly as Payton demonstrated when he drove Paul Westphal out as Sonics coach.

	Kidd

No. 9: Jason Kidd, Suns PG

Stock: On the decline.

National endorsements: Nike, Powerbar.

The deal: Jason Kidd is an excitable, experienced veteran, but his recent publicized troubles concerning domestic violence virtually puts Kidd off the map for the immediate future.

	Iverson

No. 10: Allen Iverson, 76ers SG

Stock: On the decline.

National endorsements: Reebok, Sega.

The deal: Allen Iverson is definitely among the top three players in the NBA, but just like Ray Lewis, he will likely remain "hands-off" in the endorsement world. For companies other than Reebok, who have held on to him despite his troubles with the law and his controversial rap lyrics, he's simply too controversial to touch. "He's like a ticking time bomb," Levine said. "Sure, he's doing relatively well now, but all it takes is one incident that just blows up in his face and it's not worth it."

Darren Rovell, who covers sports business for ESPN.com, can be reached at darren.rovell@espn.com.