Former NBA star Kevin Garnett made headlines last week when he compared Minnesota Timberwolves guard and former Georgia standout Anthony Edwards to a young Michael Jordan.
For his part, the subject of the comparison contest. As part of an interview with broadcaster Rachel Nichols Edwards posted on social media Wednesday that Garnett’s assessment was “correct.”
“That’s an OG, man,” Edwards said of Garnett. “I say whatever I say. “Anyone who wants to argue with him, has to argue with Michael Jordan. “
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While it may seem a bit hyperbolic to compare a fourth-year player to a cultural and athletic figure widely regarded as the best player in NBA history, there is some nuance to Garnett’s statement.
Appear on the podcast Along with former Boston Celtics teammates Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo and former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, Garnett said Edwards in particular reminded him of the 1984 version Jordan, who entered the league as a rookie after a stellar college career at the University of North Carolina.
Former Timberwolves star and Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Garnett made his point by citing a move from a mid-January game against the Memphis Grizzlies in which Edwards threw the ball to himself off the backboard and then The ball crashed home.
“I watch how he moves through the lane,” Garnett said. “If KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns) wasn’t on his team, he would be averaging around 30 (points per game). … Go back and look at this little boy. “This boy comes over and He turns the corner and if you’re not there, he’s going to throw you in. “
That qualifying game was enough to put Edwards on Garnett’s side.
“He didn’t say ’96’ or ’97,” Edwards said. “He said ’84. He was looking for himself. I agree with that.”
Edwards, an Atlanta native who played one season for Tom Crean at Georgia, is having a career year with the Timberwolves, who selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. . With one game left before the NBA All-Star Game, the 6-foot-4 Edwards is averaging 26.1 points and 5.2 assists per game, shooting 46.8% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range, both career highs. .
For comparison’s sake with Garnett, the 22-year-old Edwards is only one year older than Jordan was for most of his rookie season in 1984-85. Under Edwards, the Timberwolves lead the Western Conference with a 38-16 record, just four wins shy of last season’s win total.