Rare is it to witness a rookie in the NBA who is immediately comfortable enough to share his genuine thoughts without hesitation. That has been exactly the case with Anthony Edwards from the day the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted him No. 1 overall in 2020. Heck, it even started before that. What’s important is that Edwards continues to be comfortable just being himself. It has already resulted in wonderful returns for the Wolves.
After losing to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, Edwards was asked about Alex Rodriguez, who is headlining the Timberwolves’ new ownership group. The response: just Ant being Ant.
The hair twirling, showing his utter lack of interest in the topic, is phenomenal. Most players, let alone rookies, would lie and throw in a recycled line about how cool it will be to have Rodriguez as part of the ownership group. Maybe they would throw in a word about seeing YouTube clips of Rodriguez from his playing days. Anything. Not Anthony Edwards.
“Who is he?”
That was his response instead. And it’s incredible.
It’s not meant to be a knock on A-Rod. The guy is just being flat-out honest, continuing the theme for Edwards as a 19-year-old rookie. Not knowing Rodriguez seems blasphemous to even the average sports fan. The nonchalant way in which Ant asked who A-Rod is just blunt honesty. Remembering that he’s a first-year player makes the whole sequence all the more jaw-dropping.
If someone who had been in the league for six, seven, eight years said this, nobody probably bats an eye. There probably would be some surprise over an athlete not knowing who Alex Rodriguez is, but that’s about it. But when you add all the ingredients — Edwards being a rookie, just 19, saying it so honestly while twirling his hair around without a care in the world — it’s a perfect recipe.
Let’s not forget Edwards mentioned in a pre-draft interview that he doesn’t even watch the NBA, that he doesn’t like watching basketball at all. Those comments scared some teams (maybe even Minnesota) into wondering how dedicated to his craft he was. Thankfully the Wolves saw past the comments because those questions have been answered in Edwards’ rookie campaign.
In general, people don’t like things that are different. They want to wake up and eat the same breakfast, listen to the same station on the way to work and watch the same networks and shows when they get home. Rinse and repeat. With sports, fans often prefer the players on their favorite team take a robotic approach. They’d rather have the guy who hardly says anything than someone who is outspoken and tests the waters from time to time. Anthony Edwards is cut from a different cloth in the most refreshing way possible.
It’s fascinating considering how these narratives usually play out on losing teams. The Wolves aren’t winning games, leading to overflowing frustration within a fanbase — especially one starving for a playoff contender. Yet with Edwards, fans are still cracking smiles. It goes to show how infectious his personality is.
The hope for Minnesota is that, in the years to come, Ant is still Ant, and the Wolves are winning games and spreading good vibes. If he can stay this upbeat and honest during losing times in Minnesota, imagine how fun it will be when Minnesota flips the script and starts winning.
