Anthony Edwards has opinions about players from the generation before him. Magic Johnson doesn’t think Edwards is qualified to give answers. Isaiah Thomas has his own thoughts, and thus the recipe for offseason NBA beef is born.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published last week, Edwards offered several answers that reinforced his confident reputation. “Is there anything you can’t do? I haven’t found it yet,” he said. Favorite Olympic moment? Dunking on Kevin Durant in practice.
How is today’s basketball generation different from previous generations?
“I can’t say because I didn’t see it then,” said Edwards, who was born in 2001. “People say it was harder back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had any skill back then. (Michael Jordan) was the only one who had any real skill, you know? So when I saw Kobe (Bryant), I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ But now everybody has skill.”
The chirping sound was barely audible to Johnson’s ears.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend, who won five championships in the 1980s, told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that Edwards would need a ring of his own to make that claim.
“I never answer to a guy who’s never won a championship,” Johnson said. “I really don’t have anything to say. He’s never won a college championship, and I don’t know if he’s won a high school championship.”
And Johnson wasn’t the only one who had that thought. Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas also had some thoughts.
“Propaganda works, so be careful what you believe,” the Detroit Pistons legend shared in a post on X.
Propaganda works, so be careful what you believe. https://t.co/A2fJvxDlmd
— Isaiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) August 20, 2024
A few days later, Thomas shared more thoughts on the current generation of players.
“The only skill that is more emphasized is the 3-point shot, which creates the illusion that the player and the skill have magically evolved into another species of athlete,” Thomas posted on Aug. 22.
On the same day, Thomas argued that today’s taller players are “less adept at low-post offense and defense play” and that the current generation of players are only appearing faster because of rule changes.
They look faster today because of rule changes that prohibit holding and hand checking. For example, in football, wide receivers can play in the middle of the field without fear and gain more yards. Today, the rules favor the quarterback and receivers. https://t.co/yHIBUEUYw4
— Isaiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) August 22, 2024
In short, Edwards talked about a subject he said he couldn’t talk about, and it caused a storm. Johnson said he doesn’t respond to players who don’t have a championship, but he did. Thomas, who actively responds and discusses with fans on X, also had a lot to say.
Edwards, who turned 23 earlier this month, is no stranger to eye-popping quotes. Earlier this summer, he called himself the No. 1 option for Team USA before the team’s gold medal run. In 2022, he called himself “Black Jesus.” And most notably, in May, he told TNT analyst Charles Barkley to “get his ass” to Minnesota for the Western Conference finals.
Edwards has been named to the All-Star team twice in four seasons and led the Timberwolves to their furthest playoff appearance in decades. The recent trip to the Western Conference Finals proved to be the end of the road for Minnesota, as Edwards’ first ring and Johnson’s reaction still elude him.
In an interview with the WSJ, Edwards said he is in no rush to win his first title and doesn’t necessarily need to win it this season.
“I don’t know many guys who have won championships at a very young age, other than Kobe,” he said. “Everybody else, other than him, has been losing for years to get there. I just want to get to the next level.”
(Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
