"I was impressed" - Anthony Edwards singles out one underrated guard for praise ahead of LeBron James and Stephen Curry
For the second summer in a row, Anthony Edwards suited up for Team USA in international competition. Following an impressive run in the Summer Olympics, the All-Star guard gave a shoutout to one of his overlooked teammates.
The United States put together an impressive collection of stars for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Headlining the roster were superstars LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry. However, there were numerous other high-impact players on the squad.
During his appearance at "Fanatics Fest," Anthony Edwards shared his thoughts on Team USA's gold medal run in the Olympics. He praised all of the team's top players but went in-depth on Devin Booker and all the little things he did to help the group succeed.
“Steph had great games, he (KD) had great games, LeBron had great games," Edwards said. "But Book was guarding the best player, turning down shots, Book go for seventy, not gonna lie, I was impressed watching him.”
Booker came into these Olympics with a good amount of experience having already played for Team USA in the 2021 games. The Phoenix Suns star was a key contributor off the bench, averaging 11.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the tournament.
While he isn't known for his defense in the NBA, it's something he prides himself on when playing for Team USA. Understanding that there are multiple stars who need the ball, he tries to impact the game in other areas.
Anthony Edwards reflects on postseason battle with Kevin Durant
Growing up, Kevin Durant was someone Anthony Edwards idolized during his rise to the NBA. This made his Olympic experience all the more worth it, as he got to be on the same team as him for a change.
Before the two All-Stars joined forces in the Olympics, they battled it out in the NBA postseson. The Minnesota Timberwolves squared off against the Phoenix Suns in Round 1, eliminating them in a 4-0 sweep.
When Anthony Edwards was on stage, he was asked about knocking his idol out of the postseason. The former No. 1 pick admitted that he felt bad at the time.
"I'm not gonna lie, I felt bad a little bit," Edwards said. "Only because he's my favorite player of all-time. I didn't want to send him home like that."
Edwards' performance against the Suns in the first round kicked off a dominant postseason run for him. In the four games against the Suns, he averaged 31.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
After eliminating his idol, Edwards managed to lead the Timberwolves all the way to the conference finals. Their championship aspirations ended there, as they were unable to get past Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.