After finishing up a fantastic fourth professional season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards dove right back into the challenge of international competition in joining the United States Olympic team. Being part of Team USA has been no small matter when it comes to Edwards' development as a pro.
This past season, he credited his involvement with the US national team as one of his biggest influences. When asked about his fantastic individual season in January, Ant gave the credit to USA Basketball. "Playing on the USA , the World Cup this summer ... I think that changed my perspective about everything," Edwards said.
Now, Ant has carried his infectious confidence right over to the Olympic squad. Before the team's exhibition match victory over Canada on Wednesday, Edwards stated that he believed himself to be the number one option on this US team. That is a big statement for a roster featuring the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and others.
Anthony Edwards may just be the top option for Team USA
But after Wednesday's victory, Ant may just be proving his bold statement correct. He finished the game with a team-high 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting, including knocking down five of his eight three-point attempts. He outscored the best shooter on the planet in Stephen Curry, while also racking up a higher point total than LeBron and Joel Embiid combined.
Up against possibly their toughest competition in Team Canada, Edwards helped lead the US to a resounding 14-point victory to set the tone for this summer's competition. The fact that Kawhi Leonard withdrew from the Olympic team due to injury certainly helped Ant's case to rise to the occasion for Team USA, but this is something the Timberwolves' star has unquestionably earned.
We cannot discount the relevancy of Edwards' participation in last summer's World Cup, just as he has mentioned in the past. The fact that he was on this world stage less than a year ago while many of his peers on this team were sitting at home has clearly given him something of a boost.
Do not be surprised to see Anthony Edwards do exactly what he set out to do and become one of the driving forces toward this team earning a gold medal at the Olympics.