The Anthony Edwards–Michael Jordan comparisons are heating the NBA debates. Several pundits have claimed that Ant-Man is stylistically very similar to MJ, especially the 80s version of him. Recently, Gilbert Arenas chimed in on the debate after Chris Broussard claimed that no matter how good Edwards becomes, he will never be in the GOAT conversation.
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Broussard said on the ‘First Things First’ show that Ant-Man is great for his age, and he might even end up becoming the face of the league as far as the American players are concerned. However, if it comes to being the GOAT or even in that conversation, he might never be able to make the cut.
He said, “He’s not gonna ever be in the GOAT conversation. As great as he will be, he’s not gonna be in the GOAT conversation.” Broussard did compliment Edwards for being stylistically similar to Jordan but believed that would be the extent of his reputation in the league.
When the NBA veteran was asked for his take on Broussard’s comment, on the recent episode of Gil’s Arena, he said that Broussard’s claim against Edwards is outrightly wrong. Arenas also said that it puts Broussard’s authenticity as a legitimate voice in the world of basketball into question. He said,
“So, if he wins six championships, your narrative is gonna always be against him in this debate. When technically…he actually has a foot in front of Michael Jordan in the GOAT debate at the same age because Michael Jordan was 22 before his first game.”
Arenas was also disappointed that people were comparing the 22-year-old to MJ. He believed that a comparison like that puts players into tricky situations because then the expectations are set on them to be just as great, if not more, than Michael Jordan.
Michael Jordan acknowledged the similarities
While the whole world is trying to portray Ant-Man as the next MJ, the man himself had a few things to say about it. Broussard, on his show, claimed that he reached out to Jordan regarding this heated debate about the stylistic similarities between him and Edwards. To everyone’s surprise, Broussard claimed that MJ believes there’s a lot in common between the two. He said,
“I reached out to the GOAT today, Michael Jordan. Jordan said there are similarities in their games, he agrees.”
Now, maybe a Jordan co-sign would be the fuel for Edwards to live up to this mammoth responsibility that has been put on his shoulders. With time, we’ll get to know if he will be able to reach those heights like MJ. Averaging 26.7 points currently, Edwards stands at the 11th spot, in terms of scoring in the league this season.
In addition to this, Ant is also putting up highlight plays one night after the other. His explosive style of play and his confidence in clutch situations are making a strong case for the next superstar in the league.
