Minnesota Timberwolves rising superstar Anthony Edwards has aspirations of becoming the face of the NBA.
And he appears to have all the talent to do so.
The 22-year-old guard’s monstrous start to his career is leading to comparisons with Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest player of all time. While Edwards is far away from the Chicago Bulls legend in terms of accolades, Jordan reportedly agrees there are parallels in their play styles.
“There’s the other one of the game is similar and as great as Anthony Edwards is, and I think he can be the best American player and maybe the face of the league, at least for American players,” co-host of ‘First Things First’ Chris Broussard said on a recent episode. “He’s not going to be in the G.O.A.T. conversation. But stylistically, well, I reached out to the G.O.A.T. today, Michael Jordan. Jordan said there are similarities in their games, and he agreed, so if Jordan says there are similarities, there are similarities.”
In his fourth season, Edwards is averaging 26.6 points and 5.4 rebounds on 46.7 percent shooting while making a push for the top seed in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, in Jordan’s fourth year, he averaged 35 points, 5.9 assists, and 3.2 steals, with the Bulls ending as the No. 3 seed in the East. Athleticism and finishing around the basket are two major aspects of their style which are comparable.
But perhaps the greatest similarity comes outside of stats, in their desire and love for the game. Edwards and Jordan display a level of passion for the sport that is rare, especially in the modern era. The emotion each expressed during their time is a unique skill that cannot be learned.