Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George gave his take on Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards’ comments about Michael Jordan being the only skilled player in 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.”
George isn’t the only person to call out Edwards for his comments, as Los Angeles Lakers legend and NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson also responded to the Timberwolves star.
“Well, you know, I don’t never respond to a guy that’s never won a championship,” Johnson said last month. “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.”
Edwards, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, is one of the rising stars in the NBA, but he clearly has rubbed some people the wrong way by disrespecting previous generations of NBA players.
While the Timberwolves star may believe that the game currently features more skilled players than it did during Jordan’s era, the NBA has also changed a lot as well. There have been rule changes with how the game is officiated, and the 3-point shot has become more and more important in today’s version of the NBA.
It seems like George wants the players that came before him to receive the respect and recognition they deserve for putting the league in the place to be as successful as it is today.
While George is no longer in the Western Conference and will only face Edwards and the Timberwolves twice in the 2024-25 season, it’s possible the two could create a bit of a budding rivalry.
The Sixers and Timberwolves are both expected to contend for an NBA title this season since Philly added George to its core of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and Minnesota is coming off a trip to the Western Conference Finals.
Edwards was an integral part in Minnesota’s run, averaging 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in the 2023-24 season.
Hopefully, all of the feedback that Edwards has received about his comments will help him appreciate some of the players that came before him in the NBA.
