Minnesota Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards claps back at Kevin Garnett’s and Magic Johnson’s criticisms of his comments

Published by
Peter Dewey

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards reiterated his belief that today’s NBA players would have success against the previous generation.

Previously, Edwards had claimed that Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan was the only player with skill during his era, and he received a lot of backlash from people around the NBA.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson fired back at Edwards, dismissing the former No. 1 overall pick’s opinion since he’s yet to win an NBA title.

“Well, you know, I don’t never respond to a guy that’s never won a championship,” Johnson said. “There’s not nothing to really say. He didn’t win a college championship. I don’t even know if he won a high school championship.”

Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett also pushed back on Edwards’ comments, but the star guard didn’t back down from the criticism.

“Edwards caught the ire of Garnett this summer after telling The Wall Street Journal that Michael Jordan was the only player with skills during his era,” ESPN’s Jamal Collier wrote. “Legends such as Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson fired back at Edwards. Garnett took exception, too, questioning whether players of the current generation could have played in the more physically demanding game of the 1990s.

“‘You got to know what you’re talking about to be in the argument or discussion of what we’re talking about,’ Garnett said during an appearance on the ‘All The Smoke’ podcast. ‘I root for you, young fella, but know what you’re talking about, young fella, because [what] you said don’t make no sense.’

“When I bring this up on set, Edwards shifts forward in his seat. He says players such as Garnett could have played in any era but also reiterates his belief in the skill level of the current NBA; he thinks today’s players would have succeeded against the previous generation, no matter how much more physical they might have been.”

Paul George, one of Edwards’ peers in the league right now, also had some criticism for his comments about the previous NBA eras.

“I thought it was kind of disrespectful to the game,” George said. “I thought it was a very immature comment. Obviously, Anthony Edwards is super talented and is a huge talent going forward. But, just how much the game has grown and how far – you gotta pay dues to those dudes that did it before us.”

While Edwards’ opinion may not be received well by everyone, it’s clear that the Timberwolves guard has extreme confidence in his ability.

Last season, Edwards led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals, knocking off the Phoenix Suns (in a sweep) and Denver Nuggets (the defending champions at the time) before losing to the Dallas Mavericks.

Edwards had an All-Star season, averaging 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in the 2023-24 campaign. Now, he’s looking to repeat that success with the Timberwolves in the 2024-25 season.

Minnesota begins the 2024-25 season on Tuesday, Oct. 22 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Edwards will have a lot of eyes on him in that game, and he’ll look to prove that he was right that he could play in any era of NBA basketball.

Peter Dewey

Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball, football and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.

Published by
Peter Dewey

Recent Posts

Report: ‘Early expectation’ is that Clint Capela will sign elsewhere this summer

Big man Clint Capela is in his fifth season playing for the Atlanta Hawks, and…

8 hours ago

Stephen A. says LeBron is in his feelings: ‘Could it be because I don’t believe you’re the G.O.A.T.?’

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith claimed on Wednesday that if his confrontation with Los Angeles Lakers…

1 day ago

LeBron James reflects on 2007 Cavs roster that he took to NBA Finals: ‘How is that possible?’

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James recently reflected on the 2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers and their…

2 days ago

Shannon Sharpe implies Jamal Murray defers to Nikola Jokic like Kobe deferred to Shaq: ‘Murray is more than capable’

An ankle injury has kept Denver Nuggets star big man Nikola Jokic sidelined for more…

3 days ago

Anonymous coach pushes back on Stefon Diggs’ reputation: ‘He’s a warmer person than the stigma’

An anonymous coach pushed back on some of the criticism that has followed veteran receiver…

5 days ago

Report: Draymond Green defrauded by notorious Crips leader

The Los Angeles Times has reported that Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green and Los…

1 week ago