“Mama, there goes that man,” a catchphrase once used to describe the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, can now be used for Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves star has taken over the playoffs, calling his shots and picking his opponents. He recently swept the star-heavy Phoenix Suns, doing so, by talking trash to his childhood hero, Kevin Durant. Theatrics like these are hard to come by; a veteran journalist like Stephen A. Smith knows it better than anyone, as he even called it out during his recent appearance on ESPN’s ‘First Take’.
“A superstar is official; he is here,” exclaimed ESPN host Stephen A. Smith, crowning Edwards as the new heir of the league. He further added,
“There was MJ, there was Kobe, and now there is Anthony Edwards; it’s like that… Ladies and gentlemen, a superstar has arrived in the NBA.”
Bold words to describe a 22-year-old, who hasn’t even made the Conference Finals. At this age, superstars like LeBron had already led their teams to the top of the conference and deep into the playoffs. So, what makes Edwards worth such high praise? Well, per Smith, Edwards has an uncanny ability to “take over whenever necessary”, a trait possessed by very few, like Kobe and Jordan.
So Edwards is a closer, a cold-blooded ‘killer’, but does that justify his position next to the ‘GOATs’ of the game? Smith gave his stamp of approval. Pointing to his teammate’s deference to him, Edwards was extolled as the “man of the team” by the veteran journalist, a sign of respect very few ever got. His teammates seem to agree with everything Smith is saying, as they showered Ant-Man with more praise during the post-game presser.
KAT needs sunglasses to keep out Edwards’ shine
The crowd at Footprint Center stood silent on Sunday night. The damage was done, and the Big Three from Arizona were headed to Cancun. While the home team mourned their loss, Karl-Anthony Towns saw the occasion as befitting Edward’s crowning. The duo showed up to the post-game presser together, and Towns couldn’t wait to get started.
“He’s the face of the league. I’ve been saying that…He hates when I say it, but it’s true,” said Towns. Edwards blushed at the compliments. “Like I said, he is just so bright, I put the sunglasses on most of the time,” he added.
The Timberwolves will await the series winner between the Lakers and the Denver Nuggets. Considering the kind of dominance Ant-Man and the squad have shown against a superteam, built for solid title contention, it is safe to say that they might be unfazed by whosoever their next target is. Analysts and NBA pundits are still trying to wrap their heads around this unexpected upset in the first round. For now, the Suns seem to be caught up in a haphazard situation with a failed and very costly experiment.
