As Minnesota Timberwolves fans are well aware, Anthony Edwards got an incredible opportunity last summer when he went to join Team USA at the Olympic games in Paris, France. He became a gold medalist when he helped lead the United States to a 98-87 gold medal game victory over Team France back on August 10, 2024. It was an incredible moment for a rising star in the NBA.
Along the journey to winning gold, Edwards undoubtedly made countless memories while competing alongside some of the greats from this generation of players in the NBA. Along with his favorite player of all-time in Kevin Durant, he also got to compete with Stephen Curry, LeBron James and others.
The experiences that Ant was able to undergo during this journey were recorded in the recently-released Court of Gold - a six-part documentary available on Netflix. In it, we see how Edwards' interactions with his hall-of-fame colleagues defined his experience with the US national team.
At one point during the documentary, we see a particularly interesting scene wherein Edwards arrives to Team USA practice at the UNLV basketball training facility. As he walks into the gym, he is greeted by head coach Steve Kerr, who gives Ant a word of advice regarding his game.
Kerr encouraged Edwards to use his body and become a better rebounder
"Man, you have such a gift," Kerr told Edwards. He elaborated. "I mean ... You were a tailback, you're running over people, right? When is that gonna translate to rebounding? When is that gonna translate to, find a body, and boom! Hit guys." Ant responded by saying that Chris Finch stresses the importance of this to him as well.
"That's the next step for you," Kerr said. "You took such a leap last year from the beginning of practice to the end of the World Cup, and then it translated. You became one of the best players in the league. This is the next step ... You got another level you can get to, but it's all the little boring stuff."
This was a cool moment between Edwards and Kerr that shows us a few things. Number one, it is absolutely a legitimate criticism from Kerr that came from a place of wanting Ant to level up and reach a new tier of greatness. If Edwards can tap into that mindset of embracing more physicality, he can absolutely become an even better player.
Number two, it is cool to see the interactions between these guys and to understand more of what goes on behind the scenes. Kerr has been around many a great player in his days, from playing alongside Michael Jordan to coaching the greatest shooter of all-time in Curry. Now, he wants to help Edwards continue tapping into his game and eliminate even more weaknesses.
Watch Court of Gold only on Netflix.