Despite frequent comparisons between Anthony Edwards and Michael Jordan due to their physical similarities and playing styles, the Timberwolves star doesn’t fully align with how Jordan and Kobe Bryant led their teams.
In an interview with Chris Tucker for Interview Mag, Edwards explained that he sees leadership differently in today’s NBA. “I can agree to disagree, because in today’s game everybody’s different,” Edwards said.
“You can’t talk to everybody the same,” he added. “You got to talk to players differently. Certain players can take it. I talk to some of my teammates like, ‘Hey, get your s— together.’ But some players, you got to go talk to them on the side. You can’t really cuss them out in front of everybody.”
Previously, Edwards stirred some controversy when he commented on the Jordan era, suggesting that only Jordan stood out in terms of skill. His remarks drew responses from former NBA stars like Magic Johnson and Kevin Garnett.
Edwards opens up about MVP aspirations
As the Timberwolves look to build on their success and make a deeper playoff run, Edwards has set his sights on an even bigger prize: the NBA MVP award.
“Yeah, hell yeah, for sure, no question [that I have the game to be the MVP in the league],” Edwards told NBA TV. “And that’s what I’m going for. At this point, ain’t nothing else to go for. I got a great team. I got no excuses [not] to win games. Great coaching staff, great organization. Now it’s on me to make it happen. I’m definitely going for it.”
The Timberwolves will head into the season without Karl–Anthony Towns, who was traded to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick from the Detroit Pistons.