At the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Domantas Sabonis, and Anthony Edwards lined up for a photo opp during Netflix’s premiere of its documentary series Starting 5.
After they exchanged pleasantries, Edwards removed his gold Oakleys. He happened to be in the center of the group.
James walked over to Edwards, poking fun at him by saying, “Antman in the middle?” Edwards responded with a snappy “no, no, no” and relocated to the far right, as out of the spotlight as he could be at that moment.
The camera flashes rang out. Sabonis was wearing a slick grey suit. Butler wore a black button-down T-shirt with matching pants and Doc Martins. James had on a jean jacket and a United Nations hat. Tatum wore a casual tan suit.
Premiere of Starting 5 tonight!! @KingJames @jaytatum0 @JimmyButler @Dsabonis11 @theantedwards_ @netflix #starting5 #lebronjames #netflix pic.twitter.com/ZK17P7TGVn
— Cassy Athena
(@cassyathena) September 24, 2024
Edwards was in a baggy grey hoodie, baggy block joggers, an Atlanta Braves hat, and a pair of all-black Adidas All-Stars. Under the bright lights of Hollywood, surrounded by some of the biggest names in basketball and standing in front of dozens of cameras, Edwards looked like he was making a late-night run to the gas station to pick up a bag of Hot Fries.
It was an iconic photo. Everyone talked about Ant’s appearance. There is a presence that followed him into that photoshoot. An aura, if you will. It’s the same aura that follows him everywhere he goes. However, Edwards’ modest outfit was just him being himself. That is all he has ever been and all he will ever be, no matter how bright the lights get.
On Saturday, NBA TV’s Chris Miles asked Edwards why he didn’t want to be the next face of the NBA.
“There is a lot you have to wear on your shoulders and put this image on,” Edwards responded. “I’ve just never been that type of guy.”
Franchise stars are hard to land in the NBA, especially ones that captivate the entire league. Steph Curry and LeBron are the two biggest household names of the last decade. However, their time at the top of the league is coming to a close in the next few years.
The NBA is between eras, and Edwards has earned much of the league’s attention.
The contingent of fans draped over the banister of the player’s tunnel pregame at Target Center grows every game. They hope to get an autograph, picture, or even a high-five from any player, but they cheer louder when Edwards emerges from the tunnel.
Ant usually stops for a while, signing the collage of No. 5 jerseys, custom posters, and AE 1 shoes hanging in his face. Cameras follow his every move.
Closer to tip-off, Timberwolves’ Public Address Announcer, Jedidiah Jones, calls Edwards’ name last in the player introductions. It’s the spot every team reserves for their most popular player. The crowd roars in ear-piercing fashion as flames puff out behind both hoops.
Edwards’ notoriety reaches beyond Minnesota. He has a presence when the Wolves are on the road. Most recently, roughly 30 fans gathered around the away tunnel before the Wolves took on the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 10 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Most were Cavs fans, but they were all there to see Edwards.
The game hasn’t started yet, and Edwards is already commanding the entire building’s attention. There are few players in the NBA with that magnitude. Fans travel to see Ant play, coming from as far away as Tokyo. Everything about him screams the next face of the NBA. However, Edwards isn’t chasing that title.
“I am capable of being that guy, but I don’t want to be that guy. I’ll put it like that,” Edwards continued on NBA TV during All-Star weekend in the Bay Area. “I want to be the guy who just shows up, hoops, kills dudes, and goes home.”
The Wolves hosted the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in Edwards’ last game before he traveled to his third All-Star weekend. Minnesota was on a two-game losing streak, and its offense went cold. Over those two games, it shot 38.9% from the floor and 26.5% from deep.
Minnesota had to find a way to beat the Thunder, who had the third-best road record (18-6), without Mike Conley, Donte DiVincenzo, Rudy Gobert, and Julius Randle.
The Timberwolves were in control for most of the night, holding as much as a 19-point lead. They shot 42.4% from the floor and 26.1% from deep. Still, Minnesota never let the Thunder take the lead, which was the first time one of Oklahoma City’s opponents had done that this season. The Wolves took down the best team in the NBA, 116-101, in their finest win of the season.
Terrence Shannon Jr. had a career-high 13 points off the bench. Naz Reid scored 27 points. Jaden McDaniels added on 21. Jaylen Clark played lock-down defense in his first NBA start, holding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to 1 of 7 shooting over 3:41 minutes guarding the MVP favorite.
However, the story after the game stemmed from a play in the first quarter.
Edwards didn’t have a great game against the Thunder. He played 36 minutes and finished with 23 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds. Edwards was 5 of 18 from the floor, 3 of 12 from deep, and 10 of 11 from the free throw line. However, nobody was talking about his shooting woes – they were all talking about his poster dunk over Minneapolis native Chet Holmgren.
“He came over like he was a little scared, I am not going to lie,” Edwards said postgame regarding the dunk. “I don’t think he jumped to block it. He just wanted to be on the reel. Shoutout to Chet. Welcome home, baby.”
The clip of Ant saying that has over 724,000 views and counting on X and 12,000 likes. Thunder fans were upset in the comments, but Wolves fans were howling.
At All-Star practice Saturday in Oakland, Edwards wore a blackout pair of Oakleys. He had a smirk on his face as he said he didn’t want to be the face of the league. Steve Smith, who has been one of Ant’s mentors from an early age, could not believe it.
Smith witnessed Edwards’ meteoric rise in the NBA. He knows the charisma that Ant possesses. He knows the aura that follows Ant everywhere he goes. And he knows how good of a player Ant is.
“I don’t want to be that guy who tries to wear this perfect image,” Edwards explained. “I want to be able to live. You know how I am. I don’t want to cause any trouble or get in any trouble, but I want to be able to live my life as who I am. I don’t want to be something I am not.”
Edwards is having a career year. He’s averaging 27.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 44% from the floor in 36.7 minutes under his biggest role since the Wolves selected him No. 1 in 2020.
Still only 23, Ant is committed to developing and fine-tuning his game. He came into the NBA as a downhill, explosive threat. He shot 32.9% from deep in his rookie year. Before this season, his career-high three-point percentage was 36.9%, which he shot in the 2022-23 season.
Edwards is shooting an uncanny 41.4% from deep this year on a league-leading 548 three-point attempts. He focused on his three-point shot during the off-season, and the positive results are apparent.
“My trey-ball has gotten a lot better,” Edwards said. “My mid-range is not where I need it to be right now. This summer, I am going to work on my midrange. Maybe then they will say I take too many midranges.”
Ant isn’t focused on his job title. All he wants to do is win and lead his team on both sides of the ball. Edwards is far from a complete player — he still struggles in clutch time. However, his potential for greatness has beamed from him since his rookie year. Ant is still years away from being in his physical prime, but he is already one of the most talked about players in the NBA.
No matter how hard Ant tries to avoid the spotlight and stand in the far right corner, attention will follow him.
Ant may think that being the face of the league means he has to act like someone he is not. However, being authentic is why he is already a box-office star. He can dunk over a 7-foot human like it is nothing and makes millions of dollars playing basketball. Still, Ant’s authenticity makes him relatable.
The truth is that Edwards will probably become the face of the NBA sooner rather than later. He was sixth in jersey sales in the first half of the season. Not only is Ant captivating on the court, but he is also authentic. What you see and hear is who he is. Maybe that means he gets too many fines for swearing in interviews or is near the top of the NBA in technical fouls. However, that is who Ant is, and fans appreciate that.