"He's a dog" - Shaquille O'Neal picks Anthony Edwards as his henchman for fantasy NBA duo
Almost everyone is a fan of Anthony Edwards, including legends like Shaquille O'Neal. With his talent and charisma on the court, it's hard not to be in awe of what he can do. In a clip from O'Neal's podcast, "The Big Podcast with Shaq," the former LA Lakers star chose the young star as his fantasy teammate.
Edwards has taken his game to a different level this season. The way he plays this season has helped the Minnesota Timberwolves to become the best team in the Western Conference. This is why he's regarded as one of the best young stars in the NBA.
O'Neal is fully aware of that, so he had no hesitation in picking him as his fantasy partner.
"Anthony Edwards, because he's a dog," O'Neal said as he chose which current player he wants to team up with. "And when I get tired of posting you up and busting your a**, I do have some guard skills, I'll step out."
Shaq gave his reasoning as to why the Wolves star was his choice.
"The way he plays, he plays the right way. He plays hard and he plays with that tenacity."
Although O'Neal has been critical to the younger generation, he still acknowledges the stars he thinks play the right way. In January, Shaq named Edwards on the list of the best young players in the league. Together with the two-time All-Star, he named a few more players.
Shaq mentioned Victor Wembanyama, Trae Young, Jaime Jaquez, Alperen Sengun and Zion Williamson. Despite his criticism of the New Orleans Pelicans star, O'Neal believes he can take over the league if he's healthy.
Shaquille O'Neal is high on Anthony Edwards as he encourages him to focus on himself
The 2023-24 season has been a spectacle performance for Edwards. Fans of the young star can't get enough of him and continue to be amazed. However, through all this, he's constantly being compared to Michael Jordan. Not only are they being compared on the court, but off the court as well.
Edwards cannot escape the comparisons between himself and MJ, which is why Shaquille O'Neal discouraged him from paying attention to the comparisons. Instead, he wants the All-Star guard to focus on himself.
"Forget MJ, you need to be Ant-Edwards," O'Neal said. "That's my advice to him. Don't focus on being the next Mike, be who you are."
Shaq talked about it at the 46:50 mark.
O'Neal believes that Edwards can take his game to a different level if he focuses on working on his game and ignoring the comparisons.