Funny guy Anthony Edwards is dead serious about winning MVP
Do a quick search of Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards on YouTube, and you won't just find a bunch of basketball clips that showcase his athleticism and basketball skill. You will also get compilation clips that feature Edwards calling himself multi-talented, craving to have an Irish accent and calling The Spice Girls the Bad Girls Club. Barely two years in the NBA, Edwards has built a reputation as the funniest man in the league.
Edwards may be a goofball off the court, but the moment he dons his jersey and laces up his sneakers, Ant turns into a different guy. He becomes a person who is on a mission to be the greatest basketball player he can be. To be declared as such, one has to be in it for the long haul. This means that a player should not be fazed at missing out on an award that later on might not carry additional heft to his resume.
“I don’t care about that. I’m happy ‘Melo got it. They were saying our Draft class wasn’t going to be good, anyway. So, it didn’t bother me that I didn’t get it. I’m trying to be MVP. I’m not really worried about Rookie of the Year.”
Anthony Edwards, NBA.com
It may sound like Edwards is downplaying the Rookie of the Year award, which is a rather unusual thing to hear from the no.1 pick. Not too long ago, Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell were embroiled in a feud regarding the coveted ROTY trophy.
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Edwards seems to have a good understanding of how these awards work and the fact that some have a deeper place in history than others. The list of players who have been crowned Rookie of the Year and went on to become legends is endless. Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, LeBron James are just some.
On the flip side of the coin, there are some players not declared top rookie of their batch but went on to forge themselves in basketball history as one of the best: Kobe Bryant, Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry.
It is still a matter of wait-and-see if Edwards will be mentioned alongside the greats above. But from where he stands, the Wolves guard is already behaving like an MVP. Edwards cares about his teammates. While many analysts believe the Wolves will take some time to develop into an elite squad, Ant is optimistic that this pack of Wolves can go on a rampage this season.
“Guys get down when we’re losing. We’re finding ourselves right now. We’re 10 games in. We got 72 more games. Who says we can’t go on a 20-game win streak? You never know.”
Anthony Edwards, NBA.com
Anthony Edwards first entered the basketball mainstream consciousness when he was selected first overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. Slowly and surely, he's proving why the hype around him was real. Combine his basketball skill, hilarious personality, and lofty ambition to be heralded as one of the best, and you have one heck of a marketable player in Edwards. We are lucky spectators bearing witness to the first building blocks of the Edwards empire.
