Anthony Edwards has made a name for himself over the last couple of years. Aside from having an MVP-like season with the Minnesota Timberwolves last year, Edwards has started to get the rest of the world to notice him with his play during international basketball tournaments. In 2023, Edwards was the main face of Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. This summer, the young star helped lead USA Basketball to a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics.
With LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant likely phasing out of their international careers, Edwards is set to become one of the leaders for Team USA moving forward. However, it doesn't appear as if the 23-year-old is going to be representing USA Basketball every chance he gets.
Although he was the youngest player on Team USA's roster this summer, Edwards made his presence felt off the bench. While Grant Hill and everyone associated with Team USA may want Edwards to play every chance he gets, the Timberwolves superstar has other ideas.
When asked if he would be participating in the 2027 FIBA World Cup, which will take place in Qatar, Edwards kept his response short and to the point.
“Hell nah,” Edwards said regarding the World Cup, according to The Athletic's Joe Vardon.
While he is younger than the entire roster, Edwards appears to be solely focused on his NBA career. That doesn't mean he won't chase another gold medal, though, as Edwards is expected to be one of the faces of the team when he returns to Team USA in 2028 for the Olympics in Los Angeles.
In terms of his World Cup experience, Edwards isn't prepared to participate again.
Anthony Edwards' Olympics journey
Even though he came off the bench in all six Olympic games this summer, Edwards made a positive impact for the Americans. In these six games, he averaged 12.8 points per game and shot 48.0 percent from three-point range on 25 attempts.
When Team USA needed a basket and a spark off the bench, Edwards delivered. He played exceptionally well in the team's final group stage game against Puerto Rico, as Edwards poured in a game-high 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including three triples.
Overall, this Olympic experience for Edwards was yet another big step in what could turn out to be an astonishing career. At 23, Edwards has already been to the NBA All-Star Game twice, and he has also been named to the All-NBA team. After reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time in his career with the Timberwolves, Edwards was able to secure his first gold medal at the Olympics.
All of these experiences early on in his career are why so many believe that Edwards can become the face of the NBA. It isn't every day that you get to learn from LeBron, Steph, and KD in practice, and that is exactly what Edwards was able to do this summer.
As he prepares for the 2024-25 NBA season, we should expect to see a different version of Edwards, one that can truly take over a game whenever he decides to. Very few players have that “it” factor to them.
Well, Edwards possesses this rare trait, which is why he is destined for continued success both in the NBA and with Team USA looking ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
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