Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards took his game to a whole new level last season by leading the team to the Western Conference finals, but he wasn’t shy when asked about his place on the well-established Team USA.
“I’m still the No. 1 pick,” Edwards told reporters Sunday in Las Vegas. “You guys might look at it differently, but I don’t look at it differently. I just go out there and be myself. I’ve got to make my shots, play defense and they’ve got to play around me. That’s my mentality,” Edwards said with a broad smile.
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards on how he’ll adjust to the U.S. Basketball Olympic team: “I’m still the No. 1 pick. You guys might look at it differently, but … they’re going to have to adjust around me. That’s how I feel.” pic.twitter.com/Cga5kTiR2J
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 7, 2024
The 22-year-old Edwards has never lacked confidence and has backed it up with strong play as he has developed into Minnesota’s franchise player, but exuding the confidence of being the leading scorer on a team that features Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Stephen Curry has taken it to a whole new level.
But maybe it will give Edwards a chance to become one of the best players of his generation.
Edwards, who turns 23 later this summer, averaged 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from 3-point range with the Timberwolves last season.
