Anthony Edwards’ stellar performance in the 2024 playoffs earned him comparisons to Michael Jordan. However, the Timberwolves star threw away the goodwill he had earned by claiming that the Bulls superstar was the only skilled player in his era. Fans, analysts, and former players called him out for his comments and Paul George Sr. also joined in on criticizing the young guard.
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On the latest episode of Podcast P, 76ers superstar Paul George’s father claimed the Jordan comparisons inflated Edwards’ ego. He believes the 23-year-old is under the illusion that he wouldn’t be slammed for ill-informed takes. George Sr. said,
“I have been hearing on sports channels, a lot of people are starting to say he’s another Jordan, so maybe that got in his head and he want to spit out something like that. He really got to do his homework.”
George Sr. admitted that Jordan was a cut above the rest, but was far from the only skilled player. He backed his claim by naming a few players who battled the Bulls icon and were exceptionally talented, saying,
“In my eyes, Magic, Bird, Dr. J, and there’s a few of them that I can’t really think of right now but I think Jordan was a little bit top of them but he wasn’t away from them.”
While George Sr.’s response to Edwards‘ take was educational, others weren’t as kind in their rebuttal.
NBA legends slam Edwards’ controversial take about 1990s basketball
Isiah Thomas was among the first to react to the Timberwolves star’s take. He dubbed it “propaganda” before claiming that three-point shooting is the only skill players today are significantly better at than stars of yesteryear. He also claimed that centers of the current era lack the post-game that the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kevin McHale boasted.
The only skill “emphasized” more is the 3-point shot, creating the illusion that the athlete and skills have magically evolved into another athletic species. https://t.co/y7u9E0giLK
— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) August 22, 2024
Magic Johnson was a lot less friendly in his response. When asked about Edwards’ take, he claimed he doesn’t entertain the opinions of athletes who haven’t won championships. He then asked whether the guard even had a high school championship on his resume to further downplay his legitimacy.
Kevin Garnett banked on the old and reliable physicality take. He claimed that today’s stars wouldn’t be effective in his era. He argued that the physicality would be too much for them to handle. Edwards’ take caused chaos that has seemingly affected his stock.
It remains to be whether he can prove that he’s truly “the new Jordan” and respond with strong performances on the court.
