Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has received no shortage of Michael Jordan comparisons over the past couple of years. The comparisons have become increasingly common this season amid Minnesota's success.
Edwards has heard the comparisons. He shared his honest thoughts during a recent interview with Malika Andrews on Good Morning America.
“Yeah, for sure,” Edwards responded after Andrews asked if he wants the comparisons to stop. “He's one of one, man. The greatest of all-time for sure. So yeah, I want it to stop.”
Andrews then asked Edwards how he would like to be talked about amid his desire for the Michael Jordan comparisons to stop.
“As Anthony Edwards,” he responded. “Yeah, like the first Anthony Edwards not the next Michael Jordan. I want people to be like, ‘this Anthony Edwards kid, he got his own style. He maybe got a mix of Michael Jordan in him'… but I got a trey ball. I can shoot the three. I think that makes me a little different than Michael Jordan.”
Edwards is only 22 years old. Yet, he is establishing himself as one of the best players in the NBA. He was not an MVP finalist in 2023-24, but one has to imagine that Edwards will become a consistent MVP candidate moving forward.
Anthony Edwards is a superstar
Edwards has already played for four years at the NBA level. He has continued to improve in each season. The Timberwolves star averaged career-highs in points per game (25.9) and assists per game (5.1) during the 2023-24 campaign.
Edwards also shot 46.1 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from beyond the arc. Additionally, Edwards averaged 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per outing.
He is also a two-time All-Star, making the team in 2022-23 and 2023-24. There is no denying the fact that Edwards' ceiling is immensely high.
Winning obviously helps to cement a player's status as a star as well. Minnesota finished as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference this season. The Timberwolves currently lead the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals 2-0.
Minnesota is on the verge of upsetting the defending champions. Edwards has been at the center of the Timberwolves' postseason success so far. He is averaging 32.3 points per game on 54.7 percent field goal and 41.7 percent three-point shooting in the 2024 NBA playoffs heading into Friday's Game 3.
Regardless of what the '24 postseason has in store, Edwards has unquestionably taken a step forward. If he can lead Minnesota to the NBA Finals, however, Edwards' status as one of the best players in the entire NBA will be impossible to argue.
Of course, winning a championship may lead to even more Michael Jordan comparisons. With that being said, Edwards would still have a long ways to go before nearing Jordan's amount of championships, as the Hall of Famer won six NBA Finals during his legendary career.
But as Edwards said, he wants the comparisons to stop. He would like to be known as the “first Anthony Edwards” as opposed to the “next Michael Jordan.”
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