Anthony Edwards was not shy about sharing his admiration for Kevin Durant during the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ first-round series against the Phoenix Suns. The two-time All-Star was asked if there is anything similar in their second-round series against the Denver Nuggets, responding:
Nah, these guys are three, four years older than me, man.
The reporter responded that Jamal Murray has been around for a while, questioning if Edwards has been tracking him. The fourth-year guard laughed it off, claiming:
Oh, hell nah. Like I said, what is he 27? I’m going to turn 23, dawg. KD is 36 or 35. Come on, man. It’s no disrespect to Jamal. I don’t know what you’re trying to start, but no, not at all.
Much of Edwards’ basketball viewing life has come with Durant as one of top players in the league. He was just six years old when the 14-time All-Star made his NBA debut in October 2007. Meanwhile, by the time Murray broke into the league, he was already 15 years old. While the Nuggets point guard has had a solid eight-year career, the Timberwolves guard has been in the league for half of that time.
Kenyon Martin isn’t a fan of Anthony Edwards, Michael Jordan comparisons
Anthony Edwards is having a great postseason run, as he has led the Minnesota Timberwolves to six straight victories. He is averaging 32.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. The two-time All-Star has shot 54.7% from the field, 41.9% from three-point range and 81.8% from the free-throw line.
While his strong play on both ends has led to comparisons to Michael Jordan, Kenyon Martin believes such claims are too premature. Speaking to Justin Termine and Eddie A. Johnson of SiriusXM NBA Radio, the former All-Star stated:
First and foremost, I hate comparisons. Everybody is different. Michael Jordan was Michael Jordan. Nobody is ever going to be Michael Jordan so let’s stop this. Anthony Edwards is a great young talent in this league and he’s making a name for himself in this NBA and he has a bright, bright future.
The competitive nature, you could probably go with that, but it’s too early. The kid’s 22 years old. Let’s take him out of the microwave society and let’s let him enjoy this success and everybody enjoy it with him. Let’s enjoy this ride. People are too quick to crown people and put titles in comparison to people. Let’s just appreciate the work that he’s doing.
While Edwards could become the face of the league in the future, even he has claimed that the comparisons are far too soon. Despite this, the Timberwolves have a bright future with him at the helm. They are just two wins away from reaching the Western Conference Finals.
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