Magic Johnson Critiques Anthony Edwards on Live TV for 'Disrespectful' Statement

A few weeks ago, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards made a controversial remark comparing today’s era of basketball to that of Michael Jordan and earlier players.

“They say it was tougher back then it is now, but I don’t think anybody had skill back then,” Edwards told the Wall Street Journal. “[Michael Jordan] was the only one who really had skill, you know what I mean? But now everybody has skill.”

Magic Johnson didn’t take kindly to Edwards' comments and called him out on the spot. On Thursday night, he appeared on " Jimmy Kimmel Live, " where he expanded on his thoughts regarding the topic.

"Thanks a lot, Anthony," Johnson told Kimmel. "I think he should've asked somebody, maybe his father or his grandfather about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dr. J., Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Clyde Drexler, all these guys, Dominique Wilkins. We had some of the most dominant players that's ever played. … Also, too, you might want to talk trash when you've won something. You know, if this came from some of the guys who just won on the Celtic team, OK, you might want to look at it. But you haven't won anything. If I'm Anthony Edwards, I'm concerned about the Dallas Mavericks , about OKC, about Boston, about all these great teams. … Concentrate, because you got beat by the Mavericks. You didn't make it to the championship. So I'm concentrating on that instead of what happened in a time you wasn't born."

You can understand why Johnson perceived the comment as disrespectful—and rightly so. The game has transformed significantly, improving in many aspects while regressing in others. While there are more athletes than ever, defensive efficiency has consistently reached new lows. Honoring the legends who paved the way, especially figures like Magic Johnson, is essential.

Edwards is coming off a Western Conference Finals loss to the Dallas Mavericks but made significant contributions to the U.S. Olympic basketball team, helping secure a gold medal this summer. Now, he’s preparing for the upcoming NBA season as it approaches.

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