Anthony Edwards (basketball)

Anthony Edwards (born August 5, 2001), nicknamed "Ant-Man" or simply "Ant", is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A shooting guard, he played college basketball for the University of Georgia Bulldogs and was selected with the first overall pick by the Timberwolves in the 2020 NBA draft. He was named an All-Star during the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons.

Edwards finished his high school career at Holy Spirit Preparatory School in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, where he was rated a consensus five-star recruit and one of the best players in the 2019 class by major recruiting services. As a senior, he earned McDonald's All-American and USA Today All-USA first team honors. He committed to play college basketball for Georgia, becoming the highest-rated recruit to do so, and was named SEC Freshman of the Year after his freshman season with the team.

Early life
Edwards spent his early life in Oakland City, Atlanta, Georgia. When he was three years old, he was given the nickname "Ant-Man" by his father. For much of his childhood, Edwards played football in the running back, quarterback, and cornerback positions. He played youth football for the Atlanta Vikings and became one of the best Pop Warner running backs in the country by age 10. Edwards switched his focus to basketball because he "thought it looked more fun" after watching his brothers play the sport. He often played basketball with his brothers at their grandmother's house. Entering ninth grade, he began training with Justin Holland, a former college basketball player for Liberty and an Atlanta-based basketball trainer.

High school career
Due to his success with the Atlanta Xpress 15-under Amateur Athletic Union team, Edwards was considered a four-star recruit by Rivals in 2016. He began playing high school basketball for Therrell High School in Atlanta as a member of the 2019 class. In early January 2017, Edwards transferred to Holy Spirit Preparatory School in Atlanta and reclassified to the 2020 class. He made the move in an effort to improve his academic performance, since Holy Spirit Preparatory had "small class sizes and support to help that."

In March 2018, Edwards helped Holy Spirit Preparatory defeat The Heritage School for the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) Class AAA state championship. He reclassified back to the 2019 class in November 2018 after seeing academic improvement. As a result, Edwards rose to become the number one recruit in the Top247 rankings by recruiting website 247Sports. In his senior season, his team finished as GISA Class AAA runners-up to The Heritage School, despite 27 points from Edwards. At the end of the season, he was averaging 29 points, nine rebounds, and two assists per game. Edwards garnered USA Today All-USA first team recognition. He played in the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic in March and April 2019, respectively.

Recruiting
By consensus among major recruiting services 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals, Edwards was rated a five-star recruit, top-five player, and the top shooting guard in the 2019 class. On February 11, 2019, he committed to play college basketball for Georgia, becoming the program's best recruit in the modern recruiting era. Edwards chose the Bulldogs over offers from Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina. He was drawn to Georgia because two of his favorite players, Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo, had been coached in college by head coach Tom Crean.

College career
On November 5, 2019, Edwards made his debut for the Georgia Bulldogs, recording 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 steals in a 91–72 win over Western Carolina. It was the most points by a Georgia freshman debutant since Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Dominique Wilkins in 1979. On November 26, he scored a season-high 37 points, including 33 in the second half, and posted six rebounds, four steals, and three blocks in a 93–85 loss to third-ranked Michigan State at the Maui Invitational. Edwards became the first Georgia freshman to score at least 37 points in a game since Jacky Dorsey in 1975. In his final game at the tournament, he led all scorers with 24 points and made the game-winning shot against NCAA Division II team Chaminade.

On February 1, 2020, Edwards recorded 29 points and 15 rebounds, both game-highs, in a 63–48 victory over Texas A&M. In his next game, he led all scorers with 32 points in an 81–75 loss to Florida. On February 26, Edwards scored 36 points and collected seven rebounds, four assists and four steals, in a 94–90 overtime defeat to South Carolina. As a freshman, he averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Edwards was the top scorer on his team and among freshmen nationally. He earned second-team All-SEC and SEC Freshman of the Year honors. Edwards collected SEC Freshman of the Week accolades four times during the season, the most in program history. He was also one of five finalists for the Jerry West Award, which recognizes the top collegiate shooting guard.

On March 20, 2020, in the spring of his freshman year, Edwards declared for the 2020 NBA draft as one of the most touted prospects in his class. He signed with an agent, forgoing his remaining college basketball eligibility.

2020–21 season: All-Rookie honors
The 2020 NBA draft was delayed by five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Edwards as the No. 1 overall pick on draft night. On December 23, 2020, he made his NBA debut, putting up 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in 25 minutes, in a 111–101 win against the Detroit Pistons. On March 18, 2021, Edwards scored a then career-high 42 points, along with 7 rebounds and 3 assists, in a game against the Phoenix Suns, becoming the third-youngest player to score 40+ points in NBA history. After the season, he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

2021–22 season: First playoff appearance
On November 10, 2021, Edwards scored a then career-high 48 points on 7 three-pointers in a 123–110 loss to the Golden State Warriors. On January 25, 2022, in a 109–107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, he became the first player in NBA history to record a stat line of at least 40 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals, and 5 three-pointers in a single game; he joined Carmelo Anthony as the only players to score 40 points without an assist at 20 years old or younger. On April 7, 2022, Edwards scored a career-high 49 points in a 127–121 win over the San Antonio Spurs. In his playoff debut on April 16, 2022, he logged 36 points and 6 assists in a 130–117 Game 1 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round of the 2022 NBA playoffs. Minnesota lost to Memphis despite Edwards's 30-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist, 2-steal and 2-block outing in the 114–106 close-out loss in Game 6.

2022–23 season: First All-Star appearance
On January 21, 2023, Edwards scored a season-high 44 points, including a season-high 8 three-pointers, along with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in a 113–104 win over the Houston Rockets. On February 10, 2023, he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career as a reserve. Edwards and De'Aaron Fox were announced as injury replacements for injured stars Stephen Curry and Zion Williamson. On April 9, in the final game of the 2022–23 season, Edwards recorded 26 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks to help lead the Timberwolves to a 113–108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, earning the eight seed in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

In Game 2 of the Timberwolves' first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Edwards put up 41 points in a 122–113 loss. His 41 points also set a Timberwolves franchise record for the most points scored in a playoff game, surpassing Sam Cassell's previous record of 40. On April 21, in Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs, Edwards scored 36 points in a 120–111 loss. He joined Kobe Bryant with the second-most 30-point NBA playoff games before turning 22 years old. In Game 4, Edwards had 34 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks and scored a crucial 3-pointer to lead the Timberwolves to a 114–108 overtime win. In Game 5, the Timberwolves were eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual NBA champion Nuggets despite 29 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 blocks by Edwards. With the Nuggets leading 112–109 in the final seconds of the game, Edwards missed a game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer.

2023–24 season: First All-NBA appearance
Edwards changed his jersey number from #1 to #5 before the 2023–24 season. On November 13, 2023, he was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his career after leading Minnesota to an undefeated week (4–0) with averages of 31.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.0 steals. On January 27, 2024, Edwards recorded 32 points, 6 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists in a 113–112 loss against the San Antonio Spurs. On February 1, Edwards was named to his second All-Star Game as an Western Conference reserve. On April 9, Edwards put up a career-high 51 points in a 130–121 win over the Washington Wizards. At the season's end, Edwards was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the first time in his career.

In Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs against Phoenix, Edwards scored 31 of his 40 points in the second half, along with nine rebounds and six assists in a 122–116 win to close out the series. It was the Timberwolves' first playoff series win in 20 years. He also surpassed Kevin Garnett for the most 30-point playoff games in Timberwolves franchise history, with eight. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Edwards scored a then playoff career-high and franchise postseason-record 43 points in a 106–99 victory over the Nuggets. He joined Kobe Bryant as the only players with consecutive 40-point games at age 22 or younger in NBA postseason history. In Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Edwards scored a playoff career-high and franchise postseason-record 44 points, along with five rebounds and five assists, in a 115–107 loss to the Nuggets. In Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, Edwards posted a near triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists in a 105–100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Minnesota would go on to lose to Dallas in five games despite Edwards 28-point, 9-rebound and 6-assist outing in a 124–103 close-out loss in Game 5.

National team career
Edwards was a member of the United States national team that competed in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He started all eight games and was selected in the All-FIBA World Cup Team. He was the leading scorer for the U.S., averaging 18.9 points per game. The team finished in fourth place.

Personal life
Edwards's mother, Yvette, and grandmother, Shirley, both died of cancer during an eight-month span in 2015, when he was in eighth grade. He has worn the No. 5 basketball jersey since high school to honor them, as they both died on the fifth day of the month. After their deaths, Edwards was raised by his sister, Antoinette, and brother, Antoine, who shared legal custody of him. In high school, Edwards frequently worked as an instructor at youth camps. He intended to major in marketing while attending the University of Georgia.

During his childhood, Edwards also starred in baseball, often acting as his team's fourth or fifth hitter in the batting order. He has jokingly said he was very skilled at a variety of sports when he was younger. He owns two dogs and has also expressed his affinity for lions, although he does not believe he has the requisite space to care for one.

Edwards made his acting debut in the 2022 sports drama film Hustle.

Controversies
In September 2022, Edwards posted a video to Instagram story referring to a group of shirtless men standing on a sidewalk with a homophobic slur. The NBA fined him $40,000 for using "offensive and derogatory language."

In December 2023, Paige Jordae, an Instagram model, accused Edwards of impregnating her and then offering her $100,000 to get an abortion. Jordae posted screenshots of text messages with Edwards. The screenshots, which were initially posted to Jordae's Instagram story, also included a screenshot of a pending wire transfer of $100,000 on November 27, 2023. Edwards responded, "I am handling my personal matters privately and will not be commenting on them any further at this time."