Anthony Edwards was the most frequent face in this season’s highlight plays, on both offensive and defensive ends. And he hasn’t been quiet, since entering the playoffs as well. As the Suns take on the Minnesota side in the first round, fans are enjoying the little tussle between AntMan and probably one of the best sharpshooters in the league currently. Many stalwarts and veterans of the league already envision the young guard to become the face of the league after LeBron James eventually retires. However, is Ant-Man even close to contesting the throne?
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On a recent episode of ‘Gil’s Arena’, Arenas and his crew discussed how Edwards is taking on Kevin Durant, a player he claims to be his idol and ‘the GOAT’. Everyone in the panel was impressed by Ant’s humility towards addressing KD, despite dropping 33 points and dishing six dimes against his idol. Ant seems to check everything in terms of his personality to become the face of the NBA. However, Gilbert Arenas revealed one thorn in his way,
“The only thing that’s holding him back, that’s the city.”
Rasheed Wallace also agreed that Ant could only receive limited media coverage while being based on a small market team. On the other hand, the crew compared this with King James, who was a hyped rookie, meaning it was easier for him to establish himself as the face of the NBA in Cleveland.
Edwards’ journey is different. Fans have witnessed his soaring rise from a novice to a prodigal talent in Minnesota. Agent Zero and the crew believed that only a championship could engrave his name in that list with the greats. Perhaps, Ant could accelerate this process with this season’s playoffs, if the Timberwolves continued their generational run just like in the regular season.
NBA players and veterans have supported Anthony Edwards’ case
Anthony Edwards has found significant support amongst his colleagues and league veterans to become the next face of the league. One of them is Ant’s All-Star teammate, Karl-Anthony Towns. KAT claimed that the way Edwards is playing makes him one of the best players in the league right now. Furthermore, he also credited Ant-Man’s personality for bringing great energy and charisma to the locker room.
Timberwolves veteran MVP Kevin Garnett has also been quite vocal in promoting Ant to be the next face. Garnett often shares Edwards’ highlights on his social media. On the other hand, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe is still wary of the claims.
He believes that Edwards would need to prove his credentials as a worthy candidate while faced with other young stars such as Ja Morant and Jayson Tatum. Though Edwards checks all criteria with his personality, he still needs to prove himself by winning a championship before the other two. Only then, perhaps, Ant could assert the claim as the next big superstar in the NBA.
