In his fifth year as a professional, Anthony Edwards is a better version of himself than ever before. Through graving various challenges and also through getting unique experiences like competing with the US National Team two summers in a row, Edwards' game has elevated sharply and quickly. And of course, on the networks like ESPN and TNT, Minnesota Timberwolves fans are seeing that he has begun to be discussed as a potential "face of the league."
Ant was asked about this specifically at media availabilities at All-Star weekend this past week. When a reporter asked if he still considers himself a top candidate to be the next face of the league, Edwards gave an answer that was perhaps a tad cryptic. "No, not really," he said. When asked to elaborate, he interestingly brought up Victor Wembanyama. "That's what they've got Wemby for."
Him doing this was no accident, and some basic analysis of his statement begins to reveal Ant's motivation behind saying what he said. Obviously, Edwards is a hyper-competitive guy. He knows exactly how talented he is, and he knows that he is good enough to be one of the faces of the NBA. But by saying he did not see himself in that light, he was sending a very clear message.
Ant likely sees Wemby as his direct competition for "face of the league"
We all know that deep down, Edwards of course thinks that he should be the face of the league. He does not lack an ounce of confidence in himself. But he was essentially speaking to an unnamed audience with the second half of his answer. Saying that's what "they've" got Wemby for means he is likely addressing the NBA's decision-makers and marketers, or the media directly.
He is basically lumping all these people into a group, and saying that he understands they have a predetermined desire to prop up Wembanyama as the next face of NBA basketball. He is not wrong, as Wemby has been marketed heavily through his first two seasons in the league. What this does is give Edwards a tremendous amount of added motivation.
The Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs play each other three to four times every single season, and Ant knows how "they" view Wemby. He is going to want to dominate that matchup every single time for this reason, and his words here divulged his true feelings on the matter, albeit in a subtle way.