The truth behind the rumor that Michael Jordan is Anthony Edwards’ father (Getty Images)
Contrary to some humorous speculation, Anthony Edwards, the No. 1 pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2020 NBA Draft, is not the son of the legendary Michael Jordan, but a rising star.
Anthony Edwards was born on August 5, 2001, to Yvette Edwards and Roger Caruth.
His journey continued and he committed to play college basketball for Georgia, where he earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors after an impressive first season.
Edwards, affectionately nicknamed “Ant-Man” by his father Roger as a child, has grown into a 6-foot-4 powerhouse for the Timberwolves.
Interestingly, he has been compared to Michael Jordan, not only because of his skills on the court, but also because of some visual similarities, such as the facial structure they shared in their rookie photos.
However, this comparison goes beyond appearances.
Anthony Edwards’ game is similar to Jordan’s in many ways.
Additionally, media frenzy over the rise of young talent often inevitably leads to comparisons to legends, and in Edwards’ case, Michael Jordan became the natural reference point.
It’s worth noting that while Edwards displays talent reminiscent of Jordan’s, matching the basketball icon’s legendary status would be a remarkable achievement.
Statistical brilliance: Anthony Edwards’ rise to NBA stardom
Edwards was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and made an impactful debut in December 2020.
Notably, Anthony Edwards finished second in Rookie of the Year voting and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He also achieved milestones such as scoring 42 points in a single game, becoming the third youngest player in NBA history to score in a single game.
As the season progressed, Edwards continued to shine, making an All-Star appearance and becoming a stabilizing force for the Timberwolves.
In the 2022-23 season, he put up impressive numbers and led Minnesota to an undefeated week with his performance, even earning the title of NBA Western Conference Player of the Week.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of his regular season statistics:
2020-21 season:
- Field goal percentage (FG): 1,211 attempts, 505 hits, 41.7%.
- Three-pointers (3PT): 520 attempts, 171 hits, 32.9% accuracy.
- Free throws (FT): 211 of 272 free throws were successful, a free throw percentage of 77.6%.
- Rebounds (REB): Grabbed a total of 336 rebounds, including 59 offensive rebounds and 277 defensive rebounds.
- Assists (AST): Contributed 211 assists to teammates.
- Steals (STL): Showed excellent defensive ability, stealing 82 times in total.
- Points (PTS): A total of 1392 points accumulated during the season.
2021-22 season:
- Improved his shooting efficiency, hitting 549 goals in 1245 shots, with a success rate of 44.1%.
- Three-pointers (3PT): 215 of 602 shots were made, with an accuracy rate of 35.7%.
- Free throws (FT): The free throw percentage improved to 78.6%, with 220 of 280 free throw attempts successful.
- Got 343 rebounds, including 62 offensive rebounds and 281 defensive rebounds.
- The number of assists increased by 275.
- Completed a total of 105 steals and 46 blocks.
- The accumulated points in the season are 1533.
2022-23 season:
- He continued to improve his game, making 707 field goals in 1,541 attempts and shooting 45.9% from the field.
- The three-point shooting percentage remained at a stable level of 36.9%, with 213 hits in 578 attempts.
- Free throws (FT): 319 free throws out of 422, with a free throw shooting rate of 75.6%.
- Got 458 rebounds, including 47 offensive rebounds and 411 defensive rebounds.
- Impressive playmaking ability, 350 assists.
- Displayed defensive skills with 125 steals and 58 blocks.
- The accumulated points in the season are 1946.
2023-24 season:
- He continued to score efficiently, taking 719 shots, hitting 332 goals, and shooting 46.2% from the field.
- Three-pointers (3PT): Maintained a strong three-point shooting rate of 38.5%, hitting 92 in 239 attempts.
- Free throws (FT): The free throw shooting rate is as high as 84.8%, and 207 free throws were made out of 244 free throws.
- Got 199 rebounds, including 26 offensive rebounds and 173 defensive rebounds.
- Distributed 186 assists to teammates.
- Showed his defensive strength with 48 steals and 22 blocks.
- The accumulated points for the season are 963.
Career totals (through 2023-24 season):
- Throughout his career, Edwards took a total of 4,716 shots, hitting 2,093 goals, and his career field goal percentage was 44.4%.
- The three-point shooting percentage has always remained at 35.6%, with 691 hits in 1939 attempts.
- Free throws (FT): The free throw shooting rate is stable, reaching 78.6%, and 957 free throws were made out of 1218 free throws.
- He grabbed a total of 1,336 rebounds in his career, including 194 offensive rebounds and 1,142 defensive rebounds.
- Distributed 1022 assists to teammates.
- Displayed defensive skills with 360 steals and 162 blocks.
- Amassing an impressive 5834 points during his career.