Anthony Edwards shows competitive spirit while discussing hypothetical matchup with Michael Jordan
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards gave fans a glimpse of his competitive spirit before ever being drafted into the NBA. Since then, Edwards has proven himself as one of the most fierce competitors in the league today. Before the 2024-25 NBA season, Edwards said that if he and Michael Jordan played in the same era, he would match up well with the Hall of Famer.
Of course, Edwards has never been shy. Before being picked, Edwards said that had he been drafted by the NFL, he would have walked away from basketball, highlighting he played various sports.
Since being drafted, Edwards has been compared to Jordan because of his playing style and high-flying offensive game.
On Tuesday, before his and the Minnesota Timberwolves' season opener against the LA Lakers at Crypto.com Arena, Edwards spoke to ESPN in a joint interview with NFL star Justin Jefferson. He discussed being hypothetically matched up with MJ:
"They gon' hate me again when I say this — I already know it. I would've been the guy that could match up with MJ. That would have been me. I would've been that guy that would've been guarding him, scoring back on him. I would've been that guy."
Anthony Edwards says if he wins an NBA title, he could follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan
While Anthony Edwards is gearing up for the 2024-25 NBA season with the new-look Minnesota Timberwolves, who parted ways with longtime big man Karl-Anthony Towns this summer, he still hasn't closed the door on a potential NFL career.
While speaking with ESPN, Edwards went as far as to say:
"I told my buddies, I said, if I win a ring in the next three to four years, I'm going to play football."
However, that seems highly unlikely. Last season, Edwards and the Timberwolves upset the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs before getting eliminated in the Western Conference finals. Although the team came up short of its ultimate goal of winning a title, the result was its best since the 2004 season.
While the T-Wolves are among the favorites to emerge from the Western Conference, the odds of Edwards getting an NFL contract and pursuing a career on the field are slim. Although MJ had a chance to play semipro baseball, there is no minor league for the NFL for Edwards to get his feet wet.
Despite that, as we've seen in the past, Edwards has no doubts about his athletic abilities.