Magic Johnson is a multiple time champion.
As such, the Lakers The legend is not interested in the opinion of a player whose championship record is not comparable to his own.
Even though this player is one of the biggest names in the NBA today.
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was recently interviewed by the Wall Street Journal how he thinks basketball is different now compared to older generations.
“I didn’t watch it at the time, so I can’t speak to that,” Edwards said. “They say it was harder then than it is now, but I don’t think anyone had that talent back then. [Michael Jordan] was the only one who really had talent, you know what I mean? That’s why when they saw Kobe [Bryant]“They were like, ‘Oh, my God.’ But now everyone has skills.”
At an event last week in Yaamava Resort & Casino In San Bernardino County, Johnson was interviewed by an ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith for his response to Edwards’ comment.
“I never answer a guy who never won a championship” , Johnson said.
You can ignore the double negative in Johnson’s response — he was almost certainly trying to silence the confident, outspoken 23-year-old. player who helped the Timberwolves reach the Western Conference Finals last season, for only the second time in team history.
Johnson, 65, continued to not respond.
“There’s really nothing to say,” the Los Angeles icon said. “He hasn’t won a college championship. I don’t even know if he’s won a high school championship.”
Edwards actually won a state title in Georgia with Atlanta’s Holy Spirit Preparatory in 2018. The two-time NBA All-Star also won a gold medal with the US national team at the Paris Olympic Games earlier this month.
But that’s nothing compared to the list of championships Johnson had compiled by the age of 23. He won a state title in Michigan with Everett High in 1977, a NCAA Championship with Michigan State in 1979 and two of his five NBA titles with the Lakers on show In 1980 And 1982.
Johnson may also have been irritated by another comment Edwards made to the Wall Street Journal.
“I don’t know many guys who have won a championship at a young age, other than Kobe” , Edwards said, apparently unaware that Johnson won titles in his first and third years in the league. “Everybody else, other than him, has spent years and years of losing to get there. I just want to keep moving forward.”
Johnson also won a gold medal at the Barcelona Games in 1992, the first year NBA players were allowed to compete in the Olympics, and won a total of eight championships as a partial owner for FC LATHE The DodgersTHE Sparks and the Lakers (five times before sell his stake in the team in 2010).
Another Hall of Famer and former NBA champion also took issue with Edwards’ comment about the alleged lack of skill of old-school players. Isiah Thomaswho won titles with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 And 1990reposted part of Edwards’ quote on X last week and wrote: “Propaganda works, so be careful what you choose to believe.”
Two days later, Thomas reposted another thread on the same topic and wrote: “The only skill that is ‘highlighted’ more is the 3-point shot, creating the illusion that the athlete and his skills evolved as if by magic in another athletic species.”
In response to a comment suggesting that today’s players might be “faster and stronger,” Thomas wrote: “They seem faster today because of the rule changewhich prohibits holding or checking a player with your hand to prevent him from progressing. In football, for example, receivers can play in the middle of the field without fear and gain more yards. Today, the rules favor quarterbacks and receivers.
