Is Anthony Edwards similar to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant? As many NBA fans will be aware, Edwards is a young and rising star for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Although he entered the league in the same draft class as other hyped-up prospects such as LaMelo Ball and James Wiseman, he has already proven himself to be one of the best players from the 2020 draft.
Anthony Edwards was recently given an opportunity to represent Team USA by participating in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Although his team didn’t win the international tournament, there is no denying that Edwards played quite well for Team USA.
In fact, his play impressed a lot of fans and members of the basketball community. Even former NBA players took to social media and heaped high praise on the young Timberwolves star. With that being said, let us take a closer look and find out more.
Is Anthony Edwards similar to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant?
There cannot be too many NBA fans who are unaware of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Both of them are considered NBA legends and are a part of the discussions involving the greatest basketball player of all time. After all, Jordan is a 6x NBA champion while Kobe Bryant has 5 titles in his career.
Veteran fans who watched both Jordan and Bryant play will know that their mental toughness and approach to the game set them apart from the rest of the players in the NBA. Although it has always been difficult to quantify this mental toughness, former Lakers star Nick Young opined that Anthony Edwards is cut from the same cloth.
While it might be considered ridiculous to compare a 22-year-old young man to two NBA greats, Nick Young decided to draw these comparisons after watching Edwards in action for Team USA. Here is what he had to say about Anthony Edwards.
“All we see now are stepbacks and isos and crossovers. You don’t see people trying to do s*it like Jordan and Kobe. That’s why I say the league is about to be Anthony Edwards. This is Anthony Edwards’ league right now. The new MJ. That boy looks just like MJ out there…They should have given it to Anthony Edwards they would have never lost to Lithuania.”
Anthony Edwards is the New MJ, Says NBA Champion Nick Young:
“The league is about to be @theantedwards_. This is Anthony Edwards league now, the new MJ. That boy looks just like MJ out there,” says @NickSwagyPYoung.
“They should have gave it to Anthony Edwards. They would have… pic.twitter.com/fALKnP0q94
— Landon Buford (@LandonBuford) September 7, 2023
It is certainly a stretch to call Ant the new Michael Jordan at this juncture in his career. Especially over a few impressive performances at the FIBA World Cup. Although he certainly has the potential to be a great NBA player, Nick Young might have gotten too carried away on this one.