Despite Anthony Edwards‘ best efforts to ditch the Michael Jordan comparisons, the noise refuses to die down as prominent media voices continue to push the narrative. On Tuesday, former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson became the latest analyst to claim that the Minnesota Timberwolves guard reminded him of the Chicago Bulls icon before he also shared an interesting perspective about the discourse. Johnson explained,
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“There’s a lot of similarities to Michael [Jordan] in [Anthony Edwards’] game. A whole bunch of them. Whether it’s the turnaround, all of a sudden he’ll hit a turnaround, which looks like Kobe [Bryant] to me, which looks like Michael. Whether it’s, ‘I’m falling to the ground, I got fouled, but I’m gonna fall to the ground, double-clutch it, and I’m still gonna be able to stay in the air when everybody else is on the ground, and knock the shot down.’ That’s Michael. You can’t run from that.”
“That young man we watched last night has a lot of similarities to Michael. You can’t run from it.”@keyshawn on the comparison between Anthony Edwards & Michael Jordan pic.twitter.com/Vh1oQ5JNoI
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) May 7, 2024
However, despite his initial statement, the NFL legend added that comparing Edwards to the 1998 Jordan, who rode off into the sunset after winning a sixth NBA title in eight years, was incorrect.
Instead, he believes that the Timberwolves star should be compared to 1980s Jordan. By this, he meant that Edwards was closer to the version of MJ that dragged a subpar Chicago Bulls side on his back, while also fighting to become the face of the NBA.
Johnson’s analysis is spot on. Edwards may have showcased that he is the top option on his team while battering the defending champions in their own arena in these playoffs. However, he is still a 22-year-old guard, who is likely at least half a decade away from truly hitting his peak.
His game will continue to get more polished and refined as he gains more experience and he should be allowed to grow, just like Jordan was in the 1980s. Expecting Edwards to operate at the same level that the Bulls icon did in the 1990s is a fool’s errand. And pressuring him to buy into the comparison will only add undue pressure on the young star.
Michael Jordan is a fan of Anthony Edwards
The discourse about the Anthony Edwards and Michael Jordan comparisons has taken a life of its own with many prominent names sharing their view about the Timberwolves star’s being the ‘next MJ.’
Mark Jackson dismissed the notion, Reggie Miller offered an alternate comparison, while Shaquille O’Neal shared video evidence of the similarities between them. While the talking heads can continue to discuss the topic to death, Jordan, the only person whose opinion about the comparison is worth a dime, has already given his verdict.
In March, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith revealed that he reached out to the five-time NBA MVP for his take on Edwards. He said on an episode of First Take,
I reached out to the GOAT (Michael Jordan) today. Michael Jordan said there are similarities in their games, he agreed!”
Smith also excitedly added that Jordan admired the Timberwolves star’s game and labeled him ‘special’.
As Edwards continues to ascend to the top of the NBA pyramid, the chatter will only get louder. The more he dominates, the more the comparisons to Jordan will amplify. All he can do is downplay it, work on his game, be the best version of himself, and find success on the court with the Timberwolves.
