It has been almost two months since Damian Lillard demanded a trade out of Portland. The Portland Trail Blazers superstar is set to make $45,640,084 in 2023-24. Miami fans have been waiting for a Lillard trade ever since widespread reports confirmed the Blazers star’s deep inclination toward joining the Heat. Amid anticipation regarding Dame’s trade, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards grabbed the attention of Miami fans by showering adulations on the famous ‘Heat Culture’.
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Anthony Edwards has been on an absolute tear for the USA Men’s Basketball team as the team started their FIBA World Cup campaign with a win. The youngster has been the number-one option on the USA team for some time now. Under the coaching of Steve Kerr and Erik Spoelstra, Edwards has elevated his game, even drawing comparisons to the great Michael Jordan. Recently, Ant pointed out how Spoelstra’s ‘Heat Culture’ has had a positive impact on Team USA, prompting unique reactions from Heat fans.
Anthony Edwards praises the Miami Heat culture
Anthony Edwards is fresh out of a dominant performance in USA’s 5-0 win in the tune-up series before the FIBA World Cup and is currently leading the offense of Team USA. The 2020 number-one overall pick has come into his own this off-season. While the world sees his greatness, Edwards is in awe of the ‘Miami Heat Culture’ being enforced through Coach Spo in training. Here is what he said in a post-game interview:
“He’s[Spoelstra] been dope man, bringing a lot of energy, the ‘Heat Culture’. It’s exciting to see. His first day with the scout, I was like I see what they mean when they say ‘Heat Culture’. He came in with a lot of energy, getting right to the point. Emphasising the detail. It’s dope!”
‘Heat Culture’ is a term that has been thrown around a lot amongst basketball fans. It is a set of unwritten rules that the Miami Heat franchise expects their players to abide by. The culture puts the team ahead of the individual and enforces an unselfish mindset in the team. Irrespective of the standing of the players in the team, the culture allows equal opportunity to each player and extracts the best out of them night in and night out.
With Anthony Edwards raving about the ‘Heat Culture’, fans in Miami have started to get excited about the possibilities that such a sentiment may entail. There has been a flurry of posts on social media platforms suggesting that Edwards will soon be a part of their franchise. Here are a few tweets that caught our eye:
Will Damian Lillard end up in Minnesota?
Damian Lillard’s trade situation has reached an impasse. There have been no significant developments in the past few months. This has allowed analysts and pundits to speculate other possibilities for the Portland superstar to explore. Host of ‘The Bill Simmons Podcast’ – Bill Simmons, suggested on his podcast that Dame should look to get traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
According to Simmons, trading Lillard for Karl-Anthony Towns would form a formidable big three in Minnesota. A backcourt of Damian Lillard and Anthony Edwards, with the presence of Rudy Gobert on defense, would automatically make the Timberwolves Championship contenders. While this may sound exciting for Minnesota fans, it seems like Lillard is pretty focused on the Heat.
