Stephen A Smith was among the numerous individuals from the basketball world to be left in awe of the downright magnificent performance Anthony Edwards put up in Game 1. After the conclusion of the game, the ESPN analyst seemingly couldn’t wait to talk about the Minnesota Timberwolves star during his time on ‘The Stephen A. Smith Show’. Shedding light on Edwards’ constant trash-talking, the ESPN analyst even went as far as to compare the 6ft 4” player to Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan.
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Anthony Edwards recorded an impressive 33 points and 9 rebounds in Game 1 [per NBA.com], Ant-Man led Chris Finch’s boys to hand the Phoenix Suns a 90-125 blowout loss. However, what really garnered Edwards the majority of his praise wasn’t his performance in and of itself. Instead, it was his constant smack talk that Smith just couldn’t stop appreciating. The following is what he exclaimed on the matter.
“I just love it when you talk sh*t and you back it up. I mean, I love Tim Duncan but damn it he was too quiet. Kobe, smooth and came at you, but didn’t give you the verbal assault that you needed. Just gave you facial expressions and looks. Jordan would do the same thing. But, Anthony Edwards he lets you know he’s coming and then he shows up. I love that,” Smith exclaimed.
Smith is bearing reference to the fact that, despite the Wolves tearing the Suns apart, Anthony Edwards kept going at Kevin Durant. After the two-time Finals MVP failed to prevent Edwards from going on a scoring rampage, the latter even yelled at his GOAT, saying, “Can’t guard me. What the f**k did I tell you? What the f**k did I tell you old a** n****!”
Stephen A isn’t wrong. It was indeed spectacular to see a 22-year-old not only have the courage to talk trash to one of the greatest players of this generation but also back it right up. Hopefully, the former Georgia Bulldog can capitalize on the momentum and put up several more outings of this caliber throughout the course of the postseason.
Anthony Edwards has been constantly compared to Michael Jordan
After a breakout season last year, Anthony Edwards was being compared to Michael Jordan during Team USA’s FIBA World Cup camp. The comparisons only grew more rampant within the NBA community after Kevin Garnett joined Shaquille O’Neal in drawing similarities with His Airness, after the 2023-24 NBA season commenced.
Just before the All-Star break, KG lauded Ant for being like a rookie version of Michael Jordan. Merely a month later, the 2008 NBA champ changed the narrative completely, comparing the athletic guard to a prime 1988 version of MJ.
Michael Jordan himself also validated the youngster amidst a sensational campaign. As revealed by Smith, the five-time NBA MVP was in agreeance with Smith’s claims stating that Ant was special.
A 22-year-old being compared to the GOAT can add a mountain of pressure on the young athlete. Usually, players cannot live up to such surreal expectations. However, Ant has managed to thrive despite having the benchmark set extremely high for him. And these comparisons will only amplify further if the two-time All-Star leads the Timberwolves to a deep run in the 2024 playoffs.
