Anthony Edwards gained a lot of traction this year with his performance on the court during the regular season. Helping the Minnesota Timberwolves finish as the third seed in a hardened Western Conference, Ant-Man received a lot of praise and respect from NBA players, analysts, and even some legends. But to draw comparisons between Edwards and the great Michael Jordan? That is something former Warriors head coach Mark Jackson just can’t seem to get on board with.
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Mark Jackson, along with his son Mark Jackson Jr., better known by his moniker ‘Bluu’, recently had a pretty strong debate on the comparisons being drawn between the Minnesota Timberwolves guard and the Chicago Bulls legend.
On a recent episode of his podcast; Night Mode, Jackson and his son went back and forth on this topic. Bluu wanted to show love to a young Anthony Edwards while Mark Jackson wanted these comparisons to stop entirely.
“You don’t get an argument from me when you say he’s (Anthony Edwards) cut from the same cloth. I love his mentality, I love his approach, I love the trajectory that he’s on. I’m not disrespecting his greatness and where he’s going to wind up but he’s not Michael Jordan.”
“Before you get to the exit that says Michael Jordan, you gotta pass the exit that says Kobe Bryant. So, what’re we jumping to? He’s Ant-Edwards. The guy has won one playoff series in his entire life. Let’s slow down, pump the brakes, and enjoy the ride. Because he’s on his way to do special things. Let’s just play it out.”
While Mark Jackson does make an extremely valid point, it is hard to deny the similarities between Edwards and MJ. His footwork in the post, the way he gets his shots off from the midrange, and his high-flying antics, all remind many viewers of Air Jordan.
Even the three-time Sixth Man of the Year award winner Jamal Crawford mentioned how there were similarities between Anthony Edwards’ midrange fadeaway to the Los Angeles Lakers’ legend, Kobe Bryant. Of course, Kobe was as close to a carbon copy of Michael Jordan as one can get.
Coming back to Jackson’s argument, he mentioned how before comparing Ant-Edwards to Michael Jordan, he should first be compared to Kobe Bryant, the only player who was as identical to MJ since he retired from the league. He then goes on to say that it is just too early to draw comparisons between him and the greats, given how little he has achieved so far.
Jackson may not be completely off, but his perspective on this topic may be just a tad off. Fans, analysts, and legends alike have been comparing the Wolves star to Jordan, not because of what he has won so far. Instead, it is the mentality he has, to pair with his game, that many find to be a throwback to the Bulls legend.
However, while that may be a massive compliment, Edwards doesn’t yet seem to know how to feel about it.
Anthony Edwards has mixed feelings about the MJ comparison
Kevin Garnett was one of the first NBA legends to hype up Anthony Edwards’ giving off Michael Jordan vibes. Even though Garnett drew comparisons between Edwards and a 1984 rookie Jordan, Ant-Man did not deny it and seemingly agreed with KG’s take.
Rachel Nichols: “[Kevin Garnett] said you remind him of an 84 [Michael] Jordan. What do you think about what he said?”
Anthony Edwards: “That’s the OG, man. Whatever he say, goes. … I think [KG is] right for sure.”
(via @Rachel__Nichols)pic.twitter.com/8KbMCH42ba
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 14, 2024
Although, only a few months before Garnett’s take, Anthony Edwards did express his desire that the Michael Jordan comparisons be brought to an end as he was nowhere close to what ‘Black Jesus’ used to do on the hardwood floor.
As per SportsIllustrated, this is what the Minnesota Timberwolves guard said during an interview. “I just want (the comparisons) to stop. (Jordan is) the greatest to ever play basketball, and I’m so far from it.”
While he may feel that he is far from MJ, even Mark Jackson believes he is on the trajectory to be one of the greats in the coming days of the NBA.
Sweeping the All-Star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal in the very first round of the playoffs, Edwards has already made a mark for himself in the league. And with taking Game 1 of the series against the reigning NBA champions, let’s see how far the 22-year-old All-Star leads this Minnesota squad during these playoffs.
