It’s been a tremendous year for Anthony Edwards. He’s gone from budding star to full-fledged superstar by leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to their longest playoff run in decadesHe caught the attention of the NBA with ridiculous dunks and even more ridiculous sound clips. Then Edwards left for Paris, where he played a vital role in helping the American team win another gold medal playing alongside three of the best basketball players in history.
In simpler terms, Edwards has been the center of attention for quite some time. And even now, with two months of rest before the 2024-25 NBA season, the Wolves star doesn’t appear ready to give up anytime soon.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal In an interview published Tuesday, Edwards was asked how his generation of basketball players compared to those that came before it, a recurring topic of discussion in NBA discourse. Edwards responded by boldly denouncing the lack of talent in previous generations, with the exception of Hall of Fame point guard Michael Jordan.
“I didn’t watch it back then, so I can’t speak to that,” Edwards said. “They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had any talent back then. (Michael Jordan) was the only one that really had talent, you know what I mean? That’s why when they saw Kobe (Bryant), they were like, ‘Oh, my God.’ But now, everybody’s got talent.”
No matter what you think of Edwards’s opinion, it’s objectively funny to start by saying “I can’t talk about that” and then go on to talk about it — and quite viciously, at that. No one has ever accused the 23-year-old of lacking confidence, though.
Edwards’ praise for MJ will be well-received by a large portion of basketball viewers, but the rest of his opinion… will not be, to say the least. The common argument from Charles Barkley, like this one, is that the NBA of the past actually demanded more The ability to score is greater than it is today, as it was much more difficult to score before the offensive rule changes and the adoption of the three-point line.
It’s safe to say that those who share this view will strongly disagree with Edwards’ assessment and will likely let him know so.
