throughout the game while his odd passive demeanor worked against the team eventually. Just as Edwards exited the facility, the director of player personnel, Jon Wallace, had to grab his attention.
“Where you from again? Marietta?” Wallace questioned smirking slightly, his eyes filled with evil look. This jab brought Edwards down to earth. He grew up in the Oakland City neighborhood in the inner city of Atlanta, not a rich city as Wallace noted. Wallace, a proud southerner from Huntsville, Alabama, understood what he was doing. The question that he asked was more like ‘charging’ him with something wrong that he had done. Edwards looked at him menacingly before giving him a smirk.
“Hey, don’t forget who you are, sir,” Wallace urged him. ”
The next day, Edwards fired back with a 38-point explosion against Washington, leading Timberwolves to victory after having suffered back-to-back losses. Not that Wallace did not play, but his words helped in passing the ball to Edwards, hinting that the player had become lethargic and bringing back his fighting spirit.
As the kid with cool sneakers, eye-popping dunks and funny interviews, what really drives Edwards is passion. This fire has made him the new face of the NBA and the Timberwolves for the first Western Conference finals in 20 years.
What really drives him is when he feels cornered, his assistant coach Chris Hines, who has been with Edwards from his NBA rookie years said. ”
Drafted No. 1 four years ago, there were signs that Edwards was a star in the making. His ability was seen on Team USA last summer, but now, the whole nation is seeing his ability as the Timberwolves face the Dallas Mavericks for a position in the NBA finals.
As Edwards steps into the spotlight, the Timberwolves’ Game 7 victory over Denver received an average of 8. It was watched by 41 million viewers, making it the most-watched match in the history of TNT Sports. In that quest, the NBA may be looking for the next American star in Edwards. He averaged a career-high of 25. 9 points, 5. 4 rebounds, and 5. 1 during the regular season and increased to 28 during the playoffs. 1 points, 6. 5 rebounds, and 6. 1 assists in the postseason.
As for the future, LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant are getting older, and Ja Morant and Zion Williamson are struggling. Edwards could be seen as a new contender in a league headed by other foreigners such as Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
A well-known basketball manager commented, “If you take a list of the players under 31 in the NBA, most are internationals. We need someone like Edwards to make the Americans sit up and take notice. ”
Previous to this, the Timberwolves defeated other players like Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Jokić in these playoffs and are now ready for Dončić and Kyrie Irving to advance to the NBA Finals. Edwards wouldn’t have it any other way.
“They asked me a while ago when I want to be the best player on both sides of the ball in the NBA,” he said. “That’s been my goal, and I’ve been working towards it. ”
His game has changed but his passion has not waned: He and the Timberwolves are setting their sights on new heights.
