Charles Barkley compares Anthony Edwards to MJ, Kobe: ‘They would kill you to win a game’

The Minnesota Timberwolves are one win away from sweeping the star-laden Phoenix Suns and advancing past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell were in the starting lineup. And they’re there because of Anthony Edwards.

The 22-year-old has been the best player in a series that features Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. He’s posting averages of 28 points, 7.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.3 steals with shooting splits of 49/37/91. He’s coming off a Game 3 in which he scored 36 points, grabbed 9 boards and went 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.

He went from being one of the NBA’s best young players to a full-fledged superstar in 2023-24, and Charles Barkley is ready to put him in an even higher tier.

Charles Barkley compares Anthony Edwards to Jordan, Kobe: ‘They would kill you to win a game’

After watching Edwards’ postgame interview following the Wolves’ Game 3 win, Chuck heaped praise on the fourth-year pro, comparing him to two of the best guards to ever play:

He said ‘I’m just going to kill everything in front of me, man.’ It reminded me so much of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. They would kill you to win a game.

That killer instinct has helped Ant morph Minnesota into a legitimate NBA title contender, something the franchise hasn’t been able to claim for two decades.

When Jordan was 22, he was still a year away from becoming “Michael Jordan.” When Kobe was 22, he was scoring 28.5 ppg on a 2000-01 Lakers team that won a championship. Edwards still has some work to do to become one of the best players in NBA history, but Barkley is right: He has MJ’s competitive instinct and Bryant’s Mamba Mentality.

That’s a good start for a player who’s more naturally athletically gifted than either of those two Hall of Famers.

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