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Confidence is certainly not lacking when it comes to Anthony Edwards’ basketball game. The Minnesota star exudes cockiness, which was on full display when previewing an upcoming Olympic trip to Paris.
Edwards is one of a number of stars headlining Team USA as it looks for yet another title in 2024. That list includes players like Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and all-time leading scorer LeBron James.
Ant doesn’t care about the status of his teammates. He views himself as the No. 1 option!
He was asked about how he fits into this year’s squad on Sunday. The guard says the gameplan will run through him.
Anthony Edwards the new ‘King’ of Team USA?
“I’m still the number one option,” he said while speaking to the media. “Y’all might look at it differently… I just go out there and be myself. Shoot my shots, play defense. They’ve got to fit in around me. That’s how I feel.”
Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards on how he fits in with USA Basketball Olympic team: “I’m still the number one option. Y’all might look at it differently. … They’ve got to fit in around me. That’s how I feel.” pic.twitter.com/Cga5kTiR2J
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 7, 2024
The squad might boast LeBron James, who’s won a pair of Olympic golds and a bronze medal outside of a storied NBA career, but that won’t change Edwards’ mind!
It was a strong statement from the 22-year-old star, though he might not receive too much pushback given his most recent campaign.
Anthony Edwards averaged a career-high 25.9 points per contest last season while leading the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals. He’s quickly becoming the face of the next generation, and his swagger is a big reason why!
With the season behind him, attention now turns to this next championship opportunity with Team USA, though he still has a ways to go before stamping his name into the Olympic history books.
The US national team has won 16 gold medals in 5 x 5 men’s action while also placing silver once and bronze twice. They’ve landed four straight first-place finishes dating back to 2008 – all without Edwards’ help.
Competition could be stiff this season with other NBA stars competing on their own respective national squads. Most notably, Giannis Antetokounmpo just booked his first Olympic trip with Greece after taking down Croatia in a FIBA Qualifying Tournament final.
Anthony Edwards plans to do his part in keeping that gold in the United States. We’ll see if he can back it up!