![Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves is a must-watch player on and off the court. Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves is a must-watch player on and off the court.](https://i0.wp.com/cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2024/05/29124011/GettyImages-2154579643.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1)
MINNEKeynoteUSAOLIS – Anthony Edwards just staved off elimination and avoided a sweep in the Western Conference Finals, finally solving the Dallas Mavericks conundrum that plagued the Minnesota Timberwolves for the first three games of this best-of-seven series.
In a callback to his press conference after sweeping the Phoenix Suns last month, Edwards jokes with center Karl-Anthony Towns about failing in Tuesday’s season-saving win, prompting a laugh from those in the press room. The guard also provides insight into his clutch approach, playing with joy and trying to find that against Dallas. But these are the vegetables on the plate, and everyone (assembled media and viewers at home) is waiting for the steak.
Finally, Edwards delivers.
As Towns finishes answering a question, Edwards grabs the microphone stand with his right hand and looks to his left, where his beloved starting point guard is waiting to take the podium next.
“Mike Conley is here, y’all,” Edwards said. “Do you have any questions for Mike? Do you want to ask me about Mike? Does anyone want to ask me about Mike? Bite, bite?
The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski begins to ask Edwards about how Conley (whom Edwards refers to as “Bite Bite”) played in the first half and Edwards cuts him off mid-question.
“Mike is very old.”
The room erupts in laughter as Conley’s disembodied voice reacts with a “Damn!” Edwards continues.
“And he was downhill, putting the ball up, so we thank Bite Bite, and he comes here with these clown pants on. You’re about to see it in a minute, but that’s my OG. That’s my point guard. He played very well tonight and I couldn’t ask him for anything more. So, thank you, Mike Conley.”
Conley, and his “clown pants,” then sit next to Towns while Edwards remains standing, answering more questions. He details an interaction with Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons after Minnesota’s win and is asked if he told Parsons he’ll bring him some AE1s, Edwards’ signature shoe with Adidas, for Game 6 in Dallas. Of course, the Wolves must win Game 5 in Minneapolis for that to happen, and only 11 of the 155 teams trailing 3-0 in NBA playoff history have forced a Game 6.
A reporter asks Edwards where that confidence comes from, recalling the second round, when Edwards told a locker room attendant in Denver that he would see them again for Game 7 when the Wolves needed to avoid elimination at home in Game 6. .
“What am I supposed to say? I’m supposed to say, ‘Are we going to lose Game 5?’ No, I’m never going to say that,” Edwards said. “Micah Parsons, he was wearing the AE1s and I told him he wears a size 14. I’ll get him some good shoes for Game 6.”
Anthony Edwards on his confidence in saying he’ll see them in Game 6: What am I supposed to say? Am I supposed to say we’re going to lose Game 5? No. I’m never going to say that. pic.twitter.com/tLNcNN4xZo
— Nadine Babu (@NadineBabu) May 29, 2024
Edwards and Towns exit, but Edwards continues to interrupt Conley before the 36-year-old finally requests to be left alone.
That, in a nutshell, is the experience of Anthony Edwards’ postgame press conference. In a sports world of PR training, clichés and responses often designed to dispel or prevent criticism, Edwards is almost surprisingly genuine. Nothing is calculated and everything is improvised. He has an authenticity that screams loudly in a quiet classroom and he levels it with laughter.
And basketball fans near and far love it.
Before Game 1 of the Western Finals, I was walking through Minneapolis, a city I lived in for four years during the days of Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, and I was impressed by how the city has embraced this Wolves team. The fandom was always there and helped foster one of the best basketball communities on the internet in the late 2010s and early 2010s: the Roaring Twenties era of sports blogging. But the city was dominated by goods and clothing of Vikings, twins and savages.
It’s funny how the situation has changed, culminating so far with this conference final that included the elimination of the defending champions.
Billboards featuring Edwards, Towns, Jaden McDaniels and the Wolves in general populated the rooftops like gargoyles. There is a team mural that wraps around the entire side of a building adjacent to the Target Center. “NAZ REID” is written on the wall-sized windows of an abandoned downtown storefront to recognize this season’s Sixth Man of the Year. Seemingly each pedestrian signal featured an LED message on a blue and green sign, the colors of the initial incarnation of the Wolves expansion franchise. The message simply said: “The wolves are returning.”
The team’s products are now also represented everywhere. A Wolves revival has taken over the Twin Cities, as the franchise has finally provided something truly hopeful to root for, this season and beyond. But the reason can’t simply be that the Wolves are good and have reached the conference finals for the first time in two decades, right?
“It’s Ant,” a Wolves fan explained to me outside a late-night pizzeria as he blew a plume of smoke from his lungs. “He’s (Kevin Garnett) again, but different.”
How is it different?
“As dumb as KG was, and we still love him here,” the fan said, “Ant has the team to lead this time. We love him for that. We cling to every dunk, every basket. Looks like we can get a ring with it. The way he speaks gives us all that faith.”
Ah, the way he talks.
Edwards is as Atlanta as you’d expect and then some. My dad is from Georgia and grew up around Atlanta. I recognize that level of brazen yet modest purity that exudes from Edwards. It’s part of what makes his postgame moments so moving.
“I’m not going to lie,” a Wolves fan named Jared from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, told me outside the arena before Game 2 against Dallas, “it’s very disappointing when the Wolves win and he’s not the one being interviewed on the court.” . He should always have to do that interview before the crowd.”
Less than four years into his pro career, Edwards is already one of the few players in league history who you should listen to after the game as much as watch during the game.
“They started out as (online) clips,” said Trevor of Maple Grove, Minnesota. “It’s now must-see television.”
In fact, Wolves fans have changed their viewing habits to accommodate the Edwards experience after games. Being the last one in your group of friends to see what he said is like being the last one to like a popular band that finally made it big. And like a successful comedian, expectations for how Edwards could deliver on a repeatable line continue to rise.
“When they win, I’ll definitely be looking for clips on X,” a Wolves fan named Adam told me. “I started with the ‘Just Stop Fucking’ clip, and now I’m hoping for gold.”
That’s mostly what Edwards offers. Sometimes, he’ll even stop the media from initiating questions while he finalizes a DoorDash order. After the Mavs’ losses in this series, he has remained relaxed. Edwards exudes confidence as he preaches not to panic.
Order of Popeyes pic.twitter.com/ITpOjkZq56
-Frank Michael Smith (@frankmikesmith) May 20, 2024
“Ant talk gets shared in our group chats more than most memes,” Chris, from downtown Minneapolis, told me as we waited for our coffee orders. “He is comedy. It’s actually fun. … The rest of basketball country can finally get a taste of what we’ve seen all this time.”
Edwards’ unpredictability is something even the league has seemingly adapted to. Criticizing officials will always get you a fine, and as Edwards’ teammate Rudy Gobert can tell you, certain criticisms and accusations can result in a six-figure reprimand. The league has also fined players in the past for swearing, although the most recent fine I could find for a player who swore in front of the media came in February 2023 for Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas.
In 2022, NBA reporter Howard Beck wrote about the league’s attempt to curb profanity. Byron Spruell, the NBA’s president of league operations, mentioned the word “decorum” when he discussed the league’s efforts to reduce it during press conferences and public comments. But according to league sources, Edwards has not been fined for his colorful language.
Perhaps it is the protection of a star in the making. Edwards has quickly become one of the future faces of the league, as the NBA prepares its next campaign of stardom once LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant retire. Edwards’ authenticity and personality are traits the league appears to celebrate and embrace, and the NBA is adapting to growing social norms about how young people, including stars, communicate and express themselves.
This is a good thing. As the league negotiates its next media rights deal, creating authentic brands for players is what could capture the next generation of fans. It may sound dramatic to say that, but the league is trying to make sure games get watched, profiles improve, and eyeballs swarm over any screen that has NBA merchandise on it. Perhaps more players like Edwards will come forward if they see their reality as an example and a safe space to be themselves, something that is also being explored in many player-led podcasts.
While watching Games 1 and 2 in Minnesota, you could see Edwards’ fingerprints all over the persona adopted by the crowd. The newspaper pages were withheld. Contraband shirts and towels were displayed. “Bring a–” was the calling card for the Wolves’ latest move from a punchline to a basketball brand fans trust.
Increasingly, the Wolves are getting as much attention after games as they do during them. And we’ll all bring our a– to the TV or phone screen for the next golden moment Edwards delivers.
Required reading
(Top photo: David Sherman//Keynote USA/Getty Images)
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