Anthony Edwards balled out for Team USA in their exhibition game against Canada to start the 2024 Olympic cycle for the national team. Edwards put up a team-high 13 points off the bench in USA’s 86-72 win, but he got real about feeling nervous before the game. He shared his nervousness with LeBron James but overcame it for a great outing.
“I was nervous for real, I ain’t gonna lie. I told Bron … I ain’t been nervous in a minute. My first time playing in the Olympics. I definitely was nervous.”
Edwards put up 13 points on 6-10 shooting during the win over Canada. He confided in LeBron about feeling nervous for the first time in ages primarily because James has been taking a leadership role on Team USA, with players like Edwards naturally looking up to the four-time champion.
LeBron James nearly 2 hours before tipoff working alongside Anthony Edwards and mentoring him as the captain of Team USA a bit during warm ups.
🎥: By @Sean_Zittel #USABasketball #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/VT1flf1Irz
— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) July 11, 2024
It has to be pointed out that Edwards might have made himself nervous for no good reason, as this wasn’t an Olympic game as Edwards said. This was a relatively meaningless exhibition game, but the fact that he took it as seriously as he did is a great sign. Team USA needs players who compete regardless of the situation, and Edwards is the definition of a player like that.
This is Edwards’ second summer in a row representing Team USA, being among the team’s leaders at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Unfortunately, the USA failed to bring home a medal last year but Edwards has made this year’s squad along with legends of the sport like LeBron, Stephen Curry, and his idol, Kevin Durant.
Anthony Edwards Has Been Appreciating LeBron’s Greatness
For all the cockiness we see Edwards show on the court, it’s clear that he’s a genuinely respectful person when it comes to interacting with NBA legends. He has repeatedly asked people to stop comparing him to Michael Jordan, as he feels it’s offensive to Jordan.
He has also publicly glorified Kevin Durant’s influence on Team USA and his career, never mind the fact that Edwards led his team to a sweep series win over Durant just months ago.
Edwards has previously ranked Durant higher than LeBron on his personal rankings of best players, but the Timberwolves guard once sent a profound message encouraging people to appreciate LeBron’s greatness.
“I’ve never seen so many people be so happy to see an athlete fail more than Lebron. His whole career he’s been hated on constantly and slandered to no end to the point where when he retires nobody would have appreciated his greatness. I will be glad I will be one who did.”
Anthony Edwards averaged 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists last season, coming out as a superstar as he led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in franchise history. His presence has made people pencil the Wolves in as bonafide contenders again next season, showing how much his talent is respected across the NBA.
Edwards will continue battling the likes of LeBron, Steph, and KD in the Western Conference next season. Hopefully, he picks up tricks over camp for Team USA to deploy against these legends next season.
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