Minnesota Timberwolves superstar guard Anthony Edwards has earned a reputation for making bold statements. But perhaps his latest one was his most outlandish to date.
During his recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Ant-Man poked fun at Michael Jordan's generation by saying that MJ was the only skilled player of his generation. Of course, that statement started a firestorm, and the Wolwes star is currently being criticized by various camps.
However, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith has asked for compassion from Edwards' detractors.
"Forgive the young buck for what he does not know," said Stephen A. "He openly admits that his youth comes into play, and he's barely seen the old competition from back in the day. So he just doesn't know."
Only MJ had skills during the 80s and 90s
WSJ asked Edwards about the difference between the game today and during MJ's era. Ant-Man admitted that he didn't watch the 80s and 90s NBA, so he doesn't really know. However, he took a swipe at the past generation by saying he's unsure if anybody back then, outside of Jordan, had basketball skills.
According to Stephen A., the game has certainly evolved since the days of MJ, and you could argue that players today are more skilled. But while it's true that the talent level in the NBA today is better than during the 80s and 90s, it's different when you say that Jordan was the only skilled player back then.
"Evidently, when you talk about Michael Jordan, he didn't see Charles Barkley play," added Smith. "He didn't see Larry Bird play. He didn't see Isiah Thomas, one of the most skilled point guards this game has ever seen, a person who Michael Jordan has called the second greatest point guard in the history of basketball behind one Earvin 'Magic' Johnson himself, who Ant Edwards didn't mention."
Related: “He wasn’t looking at the rim, he was looking at the spots” - Dwyane Wade on how his game started looking like Kobe Bryant’s during the latter stages of his career
Zeke called it propaganda
Interestingly, Thomas was one of the few old heads who took time to respond to Ant-Man's statement. In a tweet, Zeke insinuated that what Edwards said was just a publicity stunt .
"Propaganda works, so be careful what you choose to believe," Thomas wrote on the social media platform 'X.'
Edwards is too popular now to make controversial statements just to get media mileage. Stephen A. has a good point in giving Ant-Man a pass instead of crucifying him. A guy who considers Kevin Durant his GOAT might be too young and naive to know about many things, even his NBA predecessors.
Related: Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards reveal how they prepare for the new NBA season
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