Since entering the league as the first overall pick in 2020, Anthony Edwards has been one of the bright, young stars of the NBA. Last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves star made his first All-Star game and heading into the 2023-24 season, he has set high aspirations for himself and his team. However, he will be looking to achieve these goals while sporting a new look on the court.
In an interview with The Athletic's Shams Charania, Edwards announced that he is switching his jersey number from No. 1 to No. 5 ahead of the the new season.
“I just want to let all the Minnesota Timberwolves fans know that I'm switching from No. 1 to No. 5 this year, it should be fun,” Edwards stated. “Five has always been my number. High school, college, AAU, it's always been a number to me that I always wanted and I tried to get it when I got drafted, but I just couldn't, one of my teammates had it. Opportunity presented itself this year and I took it.”
When he first entered the league, Malik Beasley wore No. 5 for the Timberwolves and then this number was given to Kyle Anderson after Beasley was traded last offseason. Now, Edwards will wear No. 5 for Minnesota and Anderson will go back to wearing No. 1, the number he wore previously with the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies.
“We was just waiting for the right time,” Edwards went on to say. “This year, I think Kyle [Anderson] likes No. 1 anyways, he can have one, I'm going to take five.”
This has turned out to be a big offseason for the 21-year-old guard, as he is well on the path to stardom. Not only is he participating for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup this summer, but Edwards recently put pen to paper on a new five-year extension that could possibly reach $260 million in total.
It is very clear that he is now the face of the Timberwolves franchise and with both Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert next to him, Minnesota believes that they have what it takes to win a title.
Playing in a career-high 79 games a season ago, Edwards averaged 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the floor and 36.9 percent from three-point range. All of these marks and averages were career-highs for him.
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