On the verge of the last and decisive game against the current champions Denver Nuggets in the semifinals of the NBA Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves are getting ready to try to make a big hit with the help of their great star and No. 1 in the 2020 Draft, Anthony Edwardswho has become the sensational player of this season.
His undeniable talent, athleticism, mastery of the game, scoring ability and charisma have positioned him, according to NBA experts, as the ‘new Michael Jordan’. At just 22 years old, the story of ‘Ant-Man’ has had everything; from a raw childhood to becoming one of the great basketball figures, despite having prepared his entire life for the NFL.
His raw childhood: abandonment and death of his mother and grandmother
Born in Atlanta (Georgia) in 2001, Anthony Edwards’ life was not easy from an early age. And when he was just a child, suffered the abandonment of his father, who only left him the nickname ‘Ant-Man’, since years later the athlete himself would change his last name to that of his mother. A terrible situation that began to shape the character of the current basketball player, having to get used to the lack of a father figure as he was the youngest of his brothers.
The tragedy would reach its most critical point when, at just 13 years old, suffered the loss of his mother to cancer. An illness that would reappear only months later in the Edwards family, with the death of his grandmother from the same cause.
Edwards in the 2020 Draft
Heartbroken, the young man was forced to face life alone, without the guidance or love of his mother to accompany him along the way, nor of his second mother; his grandmother. To this day, the Timberwolves star carries both not only in his heart and mind, but also on his chest with the traditional ‘5’ on his shirt, in honor of both, who died on the fifth day of the month.
At 15 years old and being raised by his older brothers, Anthony had to make a complicated sporting decision that changed his life forever and that, despite going against his dreams, allowed him to be the breadwinner of his home.
Anthony Edwards
The injury that took him away from the NFL and led him to be No. 1
When I was only eleven years old, Edwards was considered in Georgia as one of the great projects in American football. In childhood competitions, the current American shooting guard stood out in different positions on the field (running back, quarterback and cornerback).
His dream was to become an NFL star and his mother supported him by accompanying him to all the games he played representing the minor divisions of the Atlanta Vikings club. However, with her absence after her death, The situation began to change for Anthony who began to mix his passion for American football with basketball.a sport instilled by his brothers.
It was at the age of 15 that, after a complicated ankle injury after a tackle from a rival, ‘Ant-Man’ weighed his great dream and his talent for basketball, choosing the latter option influenced by the fact that it is a sport that in the United States begins to generate money at an earlier age.. From then on, the partner of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns began to support his family.
After facing kids older than him in local championships in his county, in 2019, Edwards reaches the University of Georgia to strengthen the basketball team. That year, the guard gave his all and his numbers began to surprise not only in the university league, but in the NBA, where he began to rise rapidly in the 2020 Draft predictions.
With an average of 25 points per game and almost ten rebounds, Anthony is finally chosen by the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 1 in the Draft above James Wiseman (2nd) and Lonzo Ball (3rd) in an event marked by the pandemic and would begin to leave the first similarities with Michael Jordan, also chosen first in the Draft.
Despite the great feat achieved and having all the eyes of the basketball world on him, ‘Ant-Man’ still had not forgotten American football and there were even doubts about his presence in the NBA Draft after some controversies statements that made the Timberwolves and the rest of the teams interested in him tremble.
“To be honest, I can’t watch basketball. I still don’t like it very much. Yes, it’s what I do, but if the NFL called me I would quit right now. There you can do anything in the countryside; nailing, dancing and a lot of disrespectful things. Not in the NBA, because they fine you.”Edwards acknowledged in a pre-draft interview.
Already a star of the league, we should not think that the ‘5’ has already forgotten American football, not at all. “I think I could be the first to play in the NBA and NFL”he has said on countless occasions in different press conferences.
From basketball to cinema and its comparison with Michael Jordan
Under the production of famous actor Adam Sandler, in 2022, Edwards made his debut on the big screen with an antagonistic role in the film ‘Claw’ by American director Jeremiah Zagar that was released on Netflix. Another point in common with ‘Air Jordan’.
In the film, the star of the Minnesota cast gives life to the character Kermit Wilt-Washington, rival of the protagonist Bo Cruz, who is also played by an NBA player, the Spanish Juancho Hernángomez.
Claw, the movie
As if it were an amulet, after the premiere of the film, in the 2022-2023 season, the Atlanta native went from averaging 21 to almost 25 points per game and began to be increasingly decisive in the Wolves, being accompanied by one of the best defenders in the league, the French Rudy Gobert.
This year, the versatile guard achieved his third presence in an NBA All-Star and he led his team to the playoffs after achieving third place in the Western Conference, above all odds. With 26 points per game, ‘Ant-Man’ does not lose his appetite and after four great games, Minnesota Timberwolves swept Kevin Durant and Devin Booker’s Phoenix Suns in the first round of the postseason, with brilliant performances from the ‘5’ that reminded us of the young version of Jordan.
Despite all the adversities, Anthony Edwards has demonstrated a strength worthy of admiration, managing to overcome the harsh tests that life has imposed on him and looking towards the future with optimism and determination. His story, marked by tragedy and loss, is an example of resilience and courage that inspires all NBA fans, who this Sunday will have the privilege of witnessing the duel between the young fighter and the NBA’s MVP. league, Nikola Jokic.
2024-05-18 11:15:14
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