The first two seasons in the career of Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards have generally gone well. That’s given 2020’s first overall pick a lot of self-confidence.
Edwards named his all-time NBA starting five. The frontcourt is made up of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Shaquille O’Neal. In the backcourt, Edwards has Allen Iverson and — himself.
Anthony Edwards gives his all-time starting five ✋
Allen Iverson
Himself
LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Shaquille O'Neal(via @HoHighlights) pic.twitter.com/5aPDyRzRdQ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 3, 2022
When naming five players from 75 years of history, some great players are going to be left off. That will naturally inspire debate among NBA fans of different generations.
But Iverson, James, Durant and O’Neal have all have at least one NBA MVP Award. Collectively, that quartet has 56 All-Star appearances, 30 All-NBA First Team selections, 19 All-NBA Second or Third Team spots and nine NBA Finals MVP Awards. Iverson and O’Neal are already in the Hall of Fame. James and Durant will certainly join them after their careers. So, while we can spend some time debating those guys, that is a highly accomplished group.
Edwards including himself, though, is far more questionable. Make no mistake, he’s had two strong seasons. There’s room to grrow, particularly in his shooting. Edwards has made 42.9% of his field goals, 34.4% of his threes and 78.1% of his free throws. But he averaged 19.3 points per game as a rookie and 21.3 in his second year. So, Edwards has a lot to build off of. Still, other shooting guards include Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade — and that’s before we get into older players.
The reaction among NBA fans was mixed. Some liked the confidence while others questioned Edwards’ sanity.
Anthony Edwards also has a dog named Anthony Edwards Jr. I love this guy. https://t.co/jHFnUjm30C
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) June 3, 2022
https://t.co/4k6YuH0dn2 pic.twitter.com/T0KgqfUBAh
— Rob Searles (@RobBob17) June 3, 2022
We attacking that two guard lmfaoo https://t.co/SNyGK9jXqI
— 🏁 (@Living_Proof00) June 3, 2022
Love the confidence but himself is hilarious but crazy. But knowing Ant, he believes he can be in that echelon with those guys when his career is set and done. https://t.co/0BBY13ZcN3
— George Hamilton III (@iamgwh3) June 3, 2022
https://twitter.com/CfCVIVEKv3/status/1532815663101644800
Kobe has something too say https://t.co/YE2QlfAlBu
— Doody_Swayze (@ThisIsDoodyDude) June 3, 2022
Love his confidence he really mean that https://t.co/H8cZnL9GN4
— Tony (@TONIOCTT) June 3, 2022
Picking yourself over MJ and Kobe is the type of overconfidence I love to see in young athletes. https://t.co/dEjMrbcIOf
— Mature Gambino 🐝 (@thegreatflems) June 3, 2022
While Edwards has promise, he obviously does not have the career track record of someone like Jordan or Kobe. From that respect, it’s ridiculous to include himself.
On the other hand, Edwards isn’t going to have a great career without self-confidence. The Timberwolves and their fans have to be happy knowing that, if nothing else, Edwards believes in himself.
