Mike Greenberg is Certain Anthony Edwards is the Next GOAT… and He’s Very Convincing

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Anthony Edwards
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY SportsCredit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

While Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves stumbled to begin the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, as Mike Conley and his teammates will tell you, the Wolves are only seven wins away from winning the NBA Finals.

Yet, even if the Timberwolves can’t become the first team in NBA history to successfully overcome a 0-3 playoff deficit, it doesn’t mean this current core isn’t built to last. After all, Edwards is still just 22 years old, can you imagine how good he’ll be once he’s 25, like Luka Doncic, or 26, like Jayson Tatum?

Chances are, the fringe MVP candidate will become a legitimate frontrunner over the next few seasons, and it might even happen right away next year. But back to championships, because that’s ultimately what great players are measured by, and Edwards doesn’t have any rings right now.

ESPN’s Mike Greenberg picks Anthony Edwards as the face of his dream franchise

NBA: Playoffs-Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY SportsCredit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

But Edwards is far from the only star who has yet to add a Larry O’Brien Trophy to his mantle. Consider that even Joel Embiid, Tatum, Doncic, and several others still haven’t proven that they have what it takes to be the league’s best. It even took three-time MVP Nikola Jokic eight years to get his first championship.

While Timberwolves fans will be quick to tell you that Ant is poised to become the face of the NBA, and many other basketball figures agree, we’d also be lying if we weren’t a bit biased from watching the former No. 1 overall pick grow into a superstar before our eyes.

Related: Udonis Haslem Warns Mavs: Don’t Let the Timberwolves Get Another One

From Kendrick Perkins‘ frequent compliments to Stephen A. Smith and even Kevin Durant, everyone’s suddenly trying to be a part of the Wolf pack. That now includes ESPN’s Mike Greenberg. And his argument might be the most convincing one yet (transcribed below).

“Over the next ten years, the guy I think will win more championships than any of them. He, by the way, is 22 years old, he does do it on both sides of the floor and he is the heir to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. He’s not faking it. He’s not trying to be like Mike, he’s not trying to adopt the Mamba Mentality, he just has it. This kid was born with the same stuff those guys were born with. Those guys won 11 championships in the NBA. This guy says all the right things, does all the right things, and none of it is fake. It’s just inside of him. By the way, he’ll D up your guy up any day of the week, and your guy can’t D him up. If you’re telling me I can take any player to start a team in the NBA with right now, I would start it with Anthony Edwards.”

ESPN’s Mike Greenberg gushing over Anthony Edwards

Related: 10 Greatest Minnesota Timberwolves Players Of All-Time; Where’s Ant?

There are a lot of Timberwolves fans who feel the same way as Greenberg. In fact, if you could start a Timberwolves franchise with any former or current player, odds are, we’re all picking Edwards, even over the great Kevin Garnett, who will reportedly be at Target Center tonight for game 5.

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