Players build individual legacies in the playoffs. After grinding through the ups and downs of the regular season, teams compete for a chance to reach the pinnacle. When they reach the highest stage with bright lights beaming down on them, they need their leader to step up and lead them to the promised land.
Even though the Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t take home their first Larry O’Brien last year, they put together their most successful campaign in franchise history. Minnesota also put the NBA on notice with certain postseason moments, such as sweeping the favored Phoenix Suns in the first round and coming back from a 20-point deficit in the second half of Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
Anthony Edwards was Minnesota’s leader throughout all of it. He quickly blossomed from a young player widely considered the next up to one of the current faces of the league.
However, Edwards’ sudden rise to superstardom didn’t begin in this year’s playoffs. Last summer, he represented the United States at the FIBA World Cup. Edwards put the entire world on notice there, and he can do the same again this year.
A long line of Hall of Fame players have suited up for Team USA. Growing up, Edwards saw those players and their highlights, which was a big reason the Atlanta native wanted to play in the FIBA World Cup.
“I just wanted to play in because Kobe [Bryant] played in it, Michael Jordan played in it, and Vince Carter when he jumped over buddy … or the Kobe one where Kobe was talking Spanish to Luis Scola and LeBron [James] was like ‘chill, Kobe,’” Edwards said in an exclusive interview with USA Basketball last summer. “Those are the best players, so you got to do what they do.”
Most of the players and highlights Ant mentioned happened during the Olympics, not the World Cup, which doesn’t garner as much attention. However, the World Cup is a qualifying tournament that decides what countries will compete in the Olympics.
The World Cup roster isn’t necessarily comprised of the best American players as it is for the Olympics. Last summer, Team USA had Paolo Banchero, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cameron Johnson, Walker Kessler, Bobby Portis, Austin Reaves, and Edwards. That’s still a team with more star power than any other country that competed. However, it was a noticeable tick down from the typical Olympic roster.
Team USA finished fourth in the World Cup despite having the most talent on paper, losing to Germany, who went on to finish first in the half-finals. Of course, Team USA did well enough to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics, and Edwards spearheaded their play.
There isn’t much NBA basketball content for fans to consume in the summer, so the World Cup dominated many social media feeds, exposing Edwards to a national audience. Between games and before the tournament started, the NBA’s social media team heavily covered Team USA’s practices, where they often had Edwards mic’d up. Some clips were hilarious, but many showed how vocal the 21-year-old was amongst his teammates.
Edwards has been a well-spoken, vocal leader throughout most of his professional career. He quickly quieted the rumblings that he didn’t love to play basketball. Like a 10-year vet with many deep postseason runs on his resume, Ant leads his team in practice and backs it up with leadership on the court.
Through all eight World Cup games last summer, Edwards averaged a team-high 18.9 points with the second-most rebounds (4.6) and third-most assists (2.8) on 47.5% from the floor. He flat-out dominated the individual statistics and stepped up with big shots and sequences when his team needed him most.
That timely domination was a precursor for what was to come in the following NBA season.
Having a feel for the moment is a superstar’s most vital skill. Putting up impressive numbers looks excellent on paper, but there is no way to measure a player’s knowledge of when to turn on the burners and when to let their teammates score. Gaining a feel for the game can come with time. But for Edwards, it didn’t take him long to start dominating during crucial stretches of the game.
He took over in the late stages on both sides of the ball against the Boston Celtics early in the regular season. Edwards always came out of halftime aggressively, especially if the Wolves struggled in the first half. More recently, he led Minnesota back against Denver in Game 7. Ant has that it factor, which is hard to explain. However, every potential Hall of Fame player has that it factor. Edwards’ World Cup campaign last summer was the first look many fans had at his killer instinct and how he channels it into productive play in clutch moments.
Ant has the chance to take another significant step toward superstardom this summer. Some of the best players in the NBA will surround him with Team USA, like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, and Kawhi Leonard, while representing Team USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics. He may not be the USA’s leading scorer again. Still, Ant will learn more lessons with the opportunity to continue on his path to becoming one of the best players in the league.
Players may build their legacies in the playoffs. Still, most all-time greats have put together memorable moments while representing their country. Edwards is aware of that. Even at 22, he has the potential to join some of those greats, like Kobe, Vince, and MJ, as players who’ve used impressive international showings coupled with long-lasting NBA success to make their case to be immortalized in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
We will get our first look at Team USA on July 10, when they play Team Canada in Las Vegas for Game 1 of the USA Basketball Showcase. Streaming for that exhibition game will be available on FS1.
