Is Anthony Edwards the Second Coming of MJ?

The Minnesota Timberwolves are leading the defending champs, Denver Nuggets 2-1 in the NBA 2nd round playoffs, and are looking to stage an upset. After languishing as a non-playoff entity for years, the Twolves are creating believers worldwide with their scrappy defense and their superior offense. And leading the team this time around is an emboldened, empowered and maturing Anthony Edwards.

Anthony Edwards, also known as the “Ant-Man” or simply “Ant”, has finally emerged as the team’s go-to guy after years of playing second gunner to Karl Anthony Towns in the Wolves’ offensive totem pole. After a defining stint as Team USA’s top dog in the recent FIBA Basketball World Cup held in the Philippines, Ant has gained the confidence to put this team on his big broad shoulders, and take a solid shot at the NBA title this year. Leading the team to a 56-26 record in the regular season, 3rd best in the Western Conference, Ant has drawn mild comparisons with the great Michael Jordan, with his pure athleticism, his majestic flight, his seemingly limitless array of offensive moves.

Ant moves like MJ. He can fly like MJ; he can stop and take those mid-range shots flawlessly like MJ; he can defend like MJ; and on top of that, his 3-pt shot is better than MJ’s (although the 3-pt shot was not utilized as often during MJ’s time as it is today).

Against the Nuggets, who as the defending champs have acquired so much playoff savvy in years of post-regular season action, the Twolves are proclaiming a solid statement: “we may be neophytes in the playoffs, but we are not new in the business”. No longer in awe of the defending champs, Ant and his cohorts totally outplayed the Nuggets in Games 1 and 2, before getting tripped in Game 3. This despite the Nuggets homecourt advantage. Despite the absence of team’s defensive hub – and now recently adjudged “Best Defensive Player of the Year” – Rudy Gobert in Game 2. And despite the supposed lack of playoff experience.

Ant has been dominating in the 2 games. Nay, he was devastating, he was a demolition machine, he was the Denver destroyer in those 2 games. And he is doing it with the flair, the aerial artistry, and the oozing confidence that we have witnessed only with the likes of that icon decades ago, Michael Jordan. Ant’s scoring prowess, his clutch performance and defensive tenacity sets him apart, and has drawn comparisons with MJ. To the point that some fans now claim that he could most probably be MJ’s son! Watch him move, and you’ll see the poetry in motion as defined by MJ.

Ant’s athleticism, his skill and competitiveness is transforming the Twolves mindset, making them more confident that they are worthy of the crown. He has established himself as a cornerstone for the Minnesota franchise and is arguably the NBA’s best player under 25. His ongoing performance is further elevating him into the upper echelon of NBA players. His impact extends beyond Minnesota, inspiring the next generation of wanna-be NBA stars.

If Ant is able to bring the Twolves to the promised land, he will be following the footsteps of the great MJ; leaving an indelible mark in modern-day basketball, and cementing a legacy as the face of the future of the NBA. (That is, until that elongated Victor Wembanyama matures and dominates the NBA.)

Cover photo courtesy of The Denver Post. Other photos courtesy of the Boston Herald, the New York Post, Fox 9, Star Tribune and the San Diego Union.