Paul Pierce Uses ‘GOAT James, GOAT Curry, GOAT KD’ to Justify Anthony Edwards’ Nervousness

Anthony Edwards recently stunned the basketball community by admitting to being nervous ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. While his statement raised eyebrows everywhere, Paul Pierce defended the 22-year-old. The Truth justified the Minnesota Timberwolves star’s feelings while using NBA greats like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant as references.

During the latest UNDISPUTED episode, Pierce discussed the star power around Team USA to stand by Edwards’ comments. Furthermore, the 46-year-old reminisced about his debut All-Star appearance to extend his beliefs. Recalling the moment, he mentioned,

“You got GOAT [Stephen] Curry, GOAT LeBron [James], and GOAT [Kevin] Durant in the locker room and you walk in there every day. You over there rubbing elbows in the breakfast, you’re on the bus with them… When I got to the locker room for my first All-Star game… I was in a room with [Michael] Jordan… You try not to look, you over there like that… This is not a scared nervous for the game… It comes from excitement”.

This comment highlighted Ant’s recent admission of being nervous about representing Team USA in his debut Olympics. Expressing his inner feelings to Star Tribune’s Chris Hine, the 2x All-Star stated,

“I was nervous for real, I ain’t gonna lie. I told Bron… I ain’t been nervous in a minute. My first time playing in the Olympics. I definitely was nervous”.

This caught everyone by surprise. On one hand, his statement contradicted his perceived public image of staying confident in his abilities. On the other, his gameplay showcased no signs of nervousness, raising the ambiguity of his comments.

Amidst the distress, Pierce’s statement cleared the air. It showed that even the greatest stars felt excited at some point in their careers, making stardom seem more relatable. As a result, the analyst downplayed the severity of this situation while wholeheartedly backing the youngster.

Not everyone was this open to accepting Anthony Edwards’ statement

Shortly after Ant’s statement became public, the show’s nucleus, Skip Bayless questioned his ability to walk the talk. Using the Timberwolves’ Western Conference Finals defeat against the Dallas Mavericks as a reference, the sports analyst outlined his thoughts. Pointing out at Edwards’ post-Game 4 admission about lingering to the corner during the first three defeats of the series, the 72-year-old stated,

“You are admitting publicly that in the first three games, you ran to the corner in the fourth quarter, stood there, and opted to hide from basketball… I get that you are 22, and I get that you are supremely talented but do you have the right intangibles to be a Michael Jordan or a Kobe Bryant? That was an early admission of me that I am just not sure that you are THAT guy”.

This has piled the pressure on Edwards’ shoulders ahead of the big game. It simultaneously gave him a goal to work towards as the surrounding expectations continued to rise. So, it will be exciting to watch how the youngster will navigate through these challenges while leaving his footprints on the team’s anticipated success.