Kevin Durant has been known to belittle his opponents on the court. However, last season, he seemed to have got the taste of his own medicine. In the first-round playoff clash, a young Minnesota Timberwolves star, Anthony Edwards, continuously gave KD a piece of his mind. Fast forward to the present, they are now teammates on Team USA. And it has to be the best time to, once again, get to know his feelings playing with the young and explosive guard.
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During a recent sitdown with Yahoo Sports, Durant talked about Anthony Edwards, who, on multiple occasions, has admitted to being a huge KD fan. He complimented Ant-Man for his tenacity and drive and reiterated that he didn’t mind the trash talk from Ant.
Being a fan of trash-talking himself, he appreciated players that could back up their “sh*t talking“. KD said,
“I respect that, that players who come out there and, you know, they say something and they’re going to prove it…And that’s what he (Edwards) did in that series. He played his a** off. You gain so much respect. We always have respect for him, but it just went to another level, playing against him and seeing him compete.”
But this isn’t the first time Durant has publically complemented Edwards after a battle. Just a couple of months back, he declared the youngster his favorite player to watch.
Not only that, he also praised Edwards’ love for the game, adding how proud he was of Ant-Man for embracing his opportunities and growing into the player he is. This stream of compliments seems to flow both ways, as Edwards called Durant the “Alpha” of the USABMT during a recent sit-down.
Edwards calls Kevin Durant the alpha but believes he is the No. 1 option
Anthony Edwards is training alongside some of the best players in the world at UNLV’s basketball facility. After their runs on Day 2, the media members asked Edwards a pertinent question, about who the team’s “alpha” was. The 22-year-old shooting guard replied,
“I think Kevin Durant. He better be. That’s who I came to see,”.
Anthony Edwards:
“When the game is on the line who’s our alpha? I think Kevin Durant, he better be… that’s who I came to see”
“Who I look to for advice? of course KD, that’s my favorite player of all time, anything I wanna ask I go straight to him” pic.twitter.com/GO2OvUbj9c
— 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 ✰ (@Hatedzs) July 8, 2024
However, Edwards never shies away from proclaiming his claim to the throne. Barely a few hours before naming KD as the team’s alpha, he said, “I’m still the number 1 option. I mean, you might all look at it differently. I don’t look at it differently.”
Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards on how he fits in with USA Basketball Olympic team: “I’m still the number one option. Y’all might look at it differently. … They’ve got to fit in around me. That’s how I feel.” pic.twitter.com/Cga5kTiR2J
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 7, 2024
When asked if being the ‘Number 1’ option would bring an adjusting change when playing alongside other veterans, Edwards added, “I’ll just be myself. Shoot my shots, play defense and, you know, they got to fit in to play around me.”
This is exactly what the Suns forward talked about. Ant-Man is an offensive force on the court and his value addition was on full display in the last stint of Team USA. Even though Coach Kerr is fully aware of his abilities, he will have to decide on various roles and responsibilities on the team. It will be interesting to see who emerges as this team’s “Alpha” when it matters the most.
