Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves can no longer run away from fame

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PHOENIX — Fresh off arguably the most significant performance of his newborn career, Anthony Edwards stood before the world in a white T-shirt and an all-black fitted Atlanta Braves cap that was loose and hung just above his luscious hairline — making him look more like an extra in an Outkast music video “Player’s Ball” than the future face of the NBA.

Edwards is who he is. Stupid. Sympathetic. Knowledgeable. Country. She wears it all raucous and proud. He is also a competitor. Dustman. She wears all these things equally raucous and proud.

You add it all up and you have a star. Add all that together, plus a 40-point performance in a decisive 122-116 playoff victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night, and you begin to enter the world of a superstar.

But Edwards, for one reason or another, is afraid to go there. While the 22-year-old is outspoken, brash and confident, there is an underlying shyness about him when it comes to discussing his position at the sport’s most prestigious club.

A year ago, before a first-round loss to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets, Edwards said he couldn’t consider himself a newborn star until he “wins in the playoffs.”

A year later he succeeded. Not only did Edwards win in the playoffs, but he was the alpha in a series that featured players like Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, his favorite player of all time. Edwards led his organization to heights it had not seen in 20 years, the second round of the NBA Playoffs. He did this with rim-twisting dunks. He did it with a sweet punch. He did it in an arm-biting defense. He did it through leadership. He did it with WWE’s “Suck It!” extra-curricular activities. He did this while also listening to a player he had admired since he was 5 years ancient.

These are the things that make stars. This is what stardom looks like.

“No, not yet, man,” Edwards said Sunday after reaching the mark he set for himself a year ago. “Not yet.”

Unbeknownst to him, Edwards has lost the privilege of deciding who he is and who he is not in this league.

Kevin Durant congratulates Anthony Edwards after Minnesota defeated Phoenix in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

When you score 40 points in a decisive victory – and on the road – you are a star. If you played 79 games in the regular season and were the best player on a team that was one game shy of achieving the highest conference record, you are a star. When, at the age of 22, you are one of 12 athletes selected to represent your country at the Olympics, you are a star. If you make everyone laugh every time you’re on the mic, order McDonald’s on Uber Eats right after the game like he did last season in Detroit, you’re a star.

“He’s the face of the league,” said teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, who sat next to Edwards while his backup team took center stage as he talked about his NBA status. “He hates when I say this, but it’s true. Like I said, “The future is so glowing, I need to put on my sunglasses.” “

Ordinary players don’t decide to dominate when they have a chance to finish their opponent well. They don’t have that ability. The Stars shoot 11-of-15 from the floor and score 31 points in the second half when their team trails at halftime, just as Edwards did on Sunday. The stars muster up the last of their energy at the end of the fourth quarter to say “Night, night!” dunk – as he did with just over two minutes left, when he took a cross from Bradley Beal on the wing, took a dribble, shot from outside the penalty area and forced his childhood hero out of the way, punishing the rim as if it had been hit by his sister.

Stars turn on their other teammate in the midst of all the chaos when they do something wrong, just as Edwards did when Towns committed another unnecessary foul when the game was in the balance.

Edwards can’t run from this anymore. No matter how strenuous he tries. If he doesn’t want to be a star, stop playing like a star.

“He rises to the occasion,” Wolves forward Kyle Anderson said Athlete.

Stars make their teammates better. That’s what having a star is all about. The seriousness of one person makes the existence of others more significant.

Edwards was a standout for the Suns defense as a point guard. The 40 points will make headlines, but in 41 minutes of play he also had six assists and only two turnovers. He should have had over 10 assists, but Wolves couldn’t buy a penny in the first 24 minutes of the match.

There were some signs throughout the season, but it was in this series that Edwards blossomed as a creator for others. There were moments early in his career when he felt like he left because he had to. He had nowhere to go.

As the season progressed and the playoff series unfolded, Edwards welcomed blitzes to create an advantage and pass to an open man to involve his teammates in the flow of play, allowing Team Timberwolves to potentially accomplish something that only one team has done it in the franchise’s 35-year history.

But yes, Edwards is not a star.

“He’s a good guy,” said Minnesota assistant coach Micah Nori, who replaced coach Chris Finch after a fourth-quarter sideline collision left him with a grave leg injury. “What I mean by that is they trust him. He has a sense of humor. You’ve seen all his interviews. He is the first to congratulate and give all his glory to his teammates. Everyone loves him.

“When he plays, he does a good job and people know he cares not only about himself but about the team, he has done a good job of improving in that regard.”

Edwards can run away from the label all he wants, but if he refuses to accept it out of fear of being pleased, it will never go away. His way of thinking is correct. His intentions are good. But no one with two eyes and a grain of common sense could support but see a star when looking at Edwards.

From that point on, there’s no point in even asking Edwards about it. He spoke – with his game and his personality. He never has to say it out raucous. We will all repeat it for him.

“He’s my favorite player to watch,” Durant said after Sunday’s game about his star student. “He’s just grown so much since coming to the league. At 22 years ancient, his love for the game shines so brightly. That’s one of the reasons I like him the most, because he just loves basketball and is grateful to be in this position.

“He will be someone I will follow for the rest of my career.”