Michael Jordan was a different player in the 1980s, relying more on his leaping ability and athleticism as opposed to the patented fadeaway he utilized in the latter half of his career. Jordan was making highlight reels on a nightly basis for posterizing helpless defenders, viciously thwarting shots, and going coast-to-coast for dunks. He was the most athletic hooper anyone had seen.
Rising Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, a “skywalker” in his own right, reminds some people of that physically imposing version of MJ.
It appears “His Airness” agrees with the comparisons. According to Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard, Jordan sent him a text on March 19 to validate the barbershop talk.
“Patrick Beverley has said it, other people have said it, and I reached out to the GOAT himself, yes, MJ, today via text, and he told me he does indeed see the similarities in his game and Anthony Edwards’ game,” Broussard said on “The Odd Couple” podcast.
Broussard made similar comments on FS1’s “First Things First” on March 19.
“…If Jordan says there are similarities, then there are similarities.”
Becoming a Human Highlight Machine
The comparisons have existed for a while, but they’ve grown louder since Edwards produced arguably the “block of the year” and “dunk of the year” during a recent 11-day timeframe between March 7 and March 18, 2024.
On March 7, Edwards made a game-saving block by leaping so high that his head hit the rim. The play caught the attention of Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett, who compared “Ant-Man” to a 1988 version of Jordan, mostly because Edwards has shown flashes of being a dominant force on both ends of the floor. In 1988, Jordan became the first player in NBA history to win the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same year. While Edwards is unlikely to do that this year, he has earned the praise of Garnett
Then, on March 11, Edwards posterized John Collins so viciously that the Jazz forward had to leave the game with a head contusion.
The common consensus is that, much like young Jordan, Edwards is built different.
Similar Aura and Personality
Besides being a freak athlete like Jordan, Edwards has also oozed the aura and personality synonymous with Jordan, according to several NBA personalities. Much like Jordan, Edwards is known to be a fierce competitor both inside and outside the court.
During the 2024 All-Star break, Edwards addressed the comparisons to Jordan when he sat down for an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
“I mean, how would I look denying it [the comparisons]?” Edwards said. “But I don’t want to be compared to somebody with such caliber. I mean, I haven’t done anything on his level yet. But I love it. I love that they [Kevin Garnett and others] got faith in me. I mean they not wrong.”
Also in February, Edwards had an interesting response when asked to react to Kevin Garnett calling him a 1984 version of Jordan.
“That’s an OG, man. Whatever he says, goes,” Edwards told veteran reporter Rachel Nichols. “Anybody who wants to argue with him, you gotta take it up with Michael Jordan.”
“I think he’s right, for sure” Edwards added. “He said ’84 Jordan, not ’96 or ’97. He said ’84 and I agree with that.”