"You ain't working hard enough!" - Anthony Edwards reveals how Steve Kerr roasted him in his Pre-Draft workout
The Golden State Warriors haven't been a dynasty for the past decade out of the blue. It has taken a lot of hard work, and the culture that has been built there requires you to be great and dedicated. Anthony Edwards had to learn that the hard way.
Working hard
Anthony Edwards has definitely proved he was worth the #1 pick in the 2020 Draft, as the Minnesota Timberwolves have one of the brightest young stars in today's game. Ant averaged 21.3ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 3.8 apg in Minnesota's return to the playoffs. He is definitely ready to make the All-Star leap next season, and judging by his potential and talent, that will be no problem.
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But coming into the NBA, there were a lot of question marks about Edwards. The executives feared that he didn't have enough love for basketball due to being a multi-sport athlete that could excel in almost anything. The shaky start to his rookie season only made the doubts louder, but by the end of the year proved Edwards he is the future.
In the same Draft, the Warriors took James Wiseman with the #2 pick, but even if they had the opportunity to take Edwards, it probably would have been the same due to the Pre-Draft workout Ant had with the Dubs. On the set of the new movie Hustle, Edwards revealed how badly his workout went, getting checked by Steve Kerr about his work ethic.
"I'm doing this drill that they say Steph be doing. I'm running, touching the line, shoot. Running, touching the line, shoot. You've got to make five in a row. I couldn't do it. I'm too tired. I'm like, 'Man, it's just too much.' But I'm not saying this, so I'm just jogging. After the workout, Steve [Kerr] comes to me like, 'You can't go any faster?' I'm like, 'I thought I was going pretty fast.' He was like, 'Nah, do it again.'...So now, I'm trying to sprint, and now I'm looking all crazy. Missing left, missing right. So then we go to dinner, and he's telling me, 'Man, if we draft you at No. 2, you've got to be a hard worker. You ain't working hard enough.'"
Anthony Edwards, Hustle
Kerr kept it real with Edwards, and it opened his eyes. The 6'4'' guard is so confident and naturally gifted that he probably felt he could make it into the NBA without taking his training regime to another level. But the reality check from one of the best coaches in the game helped Edwards change some habits and become one of the best young players in the game.