“He is undoubtedly the leader. You can see he knows it. But now the team knows it, and I think the fans see it. He truly believes he is the best player on the floor every night. » A few days before the start of the World Cup, Steve Kerr had multiplied the praise towardsAnthony Edwards.
The Wolves star lived up to the Warriors coach’s comments, establishing himself as the offensive leader of the American selection in Asia this summer. But this summer honeymoon between the two men was not always relevant.
As he had already mentioned last year, the back remembers a workout with the Warriors, as part of the 2020 Draft, where the Californian technician felt that he “didn’t not working hard enough “.
“ I thought I would work hard. When he came in, I was doing exercises and he kept stopping them, like, ‘Is that all you got? Is that all you got?’ And I said, ‘Boy, I’ll go as hard as I’m asked. What do you want me to do? I’m sweating profusely’ “, describes Anthony Edwards.
A tickled ego
The same day, during a dinner with the coach and his GM Bob Myers, the future number one in the Draft had reason to be taken aback: the strong men of the Warriors admitted to him that if they had the first choice, held by the Wolves, they wouldn’t select him! Minnesota did not hesitate to choose him, however, with Golden State finally recovering James Wiseman in second position.
“(Steve Kerr) said ‘You have to see how Steph (Curry), K.D. (Kevin Durant) and Klay (Thompson) train.’ They kept telling me, ‘You didn’t work hard enough. If we had first choice, we wouldn’t take you.’ And I was like, ‘Damn, this is crazy.’ », Continues the former Georgia Bulldogs player.
We must believe that the Warriors tickled Anthony Edwards’ ego because at the end of this meal, the future Wolves player, while discussing with his personal trainer, said to himself that he must ” recover. I don’t know how, I don’t know what we have to do, but we have to do it. Since then, I have become a gym freak. »
Three years later, the 22-year-old young man, now an All-Star, took control of his franchise and established himself as the leader of “Team USA” during a competition. And the Warriors’ remarks have something to do with it: “ They played an important role in my current situation because they instilled in me (that work ethic) very early. »
| Anthony Edwards | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2020-21 | MIN | 72 | 32 | 41.7 | 32.9 | 77.6 | 0.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 19.3 |
| 2021-22 | MIN | 72 | 34 | 44.1 | 35.7 | 78.6 | 0.9 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 21.3 |
| 2022-23 | MIN | 79 | 36 | 45.9 | 36.9 | 75.6 | 0.6 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 24.6 |
| Total | 223 | 34 | 44.1 | 35.2 | 77.0 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 3.8 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 21.8 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
