Anthony Edwards (basketball) facts for kids
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Edwards with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2021
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| No. 5 – Minnesota Timberwolves | ||||||||||||||
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| Shooting guard | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | August 5, 2001 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Georgia (2019–2020) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2020–present | |||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2020–present | Minnesota Timberwolves | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Anthony Edwards (born August 5, 2001), also known as "Ant-Man" or "Ant", is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Anthony is a shooting guard.
Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Georgia Bulldogs. In the 2020 NBA draft, the Timberwolves chose him as the very first player. He became an NBA All-Star in the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons. Edwards also won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team in 2024.
He finished high school at Holy Spirit Preparatory School in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Experts thought he was one of the best young players in the 2019 class. In his senior year, he was named a McDonald's All-American. When he chose to play for Georgia, he was the highest-ranked player to ever join their team. After his first year, he was named SEC Freshman of the Year.
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Early life
Anthony Edwards grew up in Oakland City, Atlanta, Georgia. When he was just three years old, his father gave him the nickname "Ant-Man." For most of his childhood, Anthony played football. He played as a running back, quarterback, and cornerback.
He played youth football for the Atlanta Vikings. By age 10, he was one of the best young running backs in the country. Anthony decided to switch to basketball because he "thought it looked more fun." He watched his brothers play the sport and often joined them at their grandmother's house. When he started ninth grade, he began training with Justin Holland, a former college basketball player.
High school basketball
Anthony started playing high school basketball at Therrell High School in Atlanta. In 2017, he moved to Holy Spirit Preparatory School in Atlanta. He changed schools to help improve his grades. Holy Spirit Preparatory had smaller classes and more support.
In March 2018, Anthony helped Holy Spirit Preparatory win the state championship. He was a key player in their victory. In November 2018, he changed his graduation year back to 2019. This made him the top-ranked recruit by 247Sports.
In his senior year, his team finished second in the state championship. Anthony scored 27 points in that game. He averaged 29 points, nine rebounds, and two assists per game that season. He was recognized as one of the best high school players in the country. He also played in the famous McDonald's All-American Game.
Choosing a college
Top recruiting services like 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals all rated Anthony as a five-star recruit. This means he was considered one of the best players in the country. They also said he was the best shooting guard in the 2019 class.
On February 11, 2019, Anthony decided to play college basketball for Georgia. This was a huge deal because he was the highest-ranked player to ever commit to Georgia's basketball program. He chose Georgia over other big schools like Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina. He liked Georgia because the coach, Tom Crean, had coached two of his favorite players, Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo.
College career
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On November 5, 2019, Anthony played his first game for the Georgia Bulldogs. He scored 24 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and made 4 steals. This helped Georgia win 91–72 against Western Carolina. It was the most points scored by a Georgia freshman in their first game since Dominique Wilkins in 1979.
On November 26, he scored a season-high 37 points against Michigan State. He scored 33 of those points in the second half! He also had six rebounds, four steals, and three blocks. Anthony was the first Georgia freshman to score at least 37 points in a game since 1975.
On February 1, 2020, Anthony had 29 points and 15 rebounds in a win against Texas A&M. In his next game, he scored 32 points against Florida. On February 26, he scored 36 points in an overtime loss to South Carolina. As a freshman, he averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He was the top scorer on his team and among all freshmen in the country.
Anthony was named to the second-team All-SEC and was the SEC Freshman of the Year. He won the SEC Freshman of the Week award four times, which was a record for Georgia. He was also a finalist for the Jerry West Award, given to the best college shooting guard.
On March 20, 2020, Anthony decided to enter the 2020 NBA draft. He was one of the most talked-about players in his class. He signed with an agent, which meant he would not play college basketball anymore.
Professional career
Minnesota Timberwolves (2020–present)
First year: All-Rookie honors
The 2020 NBA draft was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, the Minnesota Timberwolves chose Anthony Edwards as the very first player in the draft. On December 23, 2020, he played his first NBA game. He scored 15 points, had 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in a win against the Detroit Pistons.
On March 18, 2021, Anthony scored a career-high 42 points against the Phoenix Suns. He also had 7 rebounds and 3 assists. This made him the third-youngest player in NBA history to score over 40 points in a game. After his first season, he finished second in the voting for Rookie of the Year. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
First playoff appearance
On November 10, 2021, Anthony scored a career-high 48 points against the Golden State Warriors. On December 15, he scored 38 points and made 10 three-pointers against the Denver Nuggets. This was a team record for three-pointers. He became the youngest NBA player ever to make 10 three-pointers in a game.
On January 25, 2022, Anthony made history against the Portland Trail Blazers. He was the first player in NBA history to have at least 40 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals, and 5 three-pointers in one game. On April 7, 2022, he scored another career-high of 49 points against the San Antonio Spurs.
In his first playoff game on April 16, 2022, he scored 36 points and had 6 assists. This helped the Timberwolves win Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Even though Anthony scored 30 points in Game 6, Minnesota lost the series to Memphis.
First All-Star appearance
On January 21, 2023, Anthony scored a season-high 44 points against the Houston Rockets. He also made 8 three-pointers, had 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. On February 10, 2023, he was chosen as an All-Star for the first time. He was picked as a reserve player.
On April 9, in the last game of the season, Anthony had 26 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks. This helped the Timberwolves win and get into the play-in tournament.
In Game 2 of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets, Anthony scored 41 points. This set a new team record for most points in a playoff game. He joined Kobe Bryant as one of the youngest players with many 30-point playoff games. In Game 4, Anthony scored 34 points and made a key three-pointer to help the Timberwolves win in overtime. The Timberwolves were eventually eliminated by the Nuggets in five games.
First All-NBA appearance
Anthony changed his jersey number from #1 to #5 before the 2023–24 season. On November 13, 2023, he was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week. He led Minnesota to a perfect week, averaging 31.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 2.0 steals.
On January 27, 2024, Anthony had 32 points, 6 rebounds, and a career-high 12 assists against the San Antonio Spurs. On February 1, he was named to his second All-Star Game. On April 9, Anthony scored a career-high 51 points in a win over the Washington Wizards. At the end of the season, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the first time.
In the first round of the 2024 playoffs against Phoenix, Anthony scored 31 of his 40 points in the second half. This helped the Timberwolves win the series, their first playoff series win in 20 years. He also passed Kevin Garnett for the most 30-point playoff games in Timberwolves history.
In Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Anthony scored a playoff career-high 43 points against the Nuggets. He joined Kobe Bryant as the only players with back-to-back 40-point games at age 22 or younger in NBA playoff history. In Game 4, he scored another playoff career-high of 44 points. In Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, Anthony had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. The Timberwolves lost to the Dallas Mavericks in five games.
Upcoming season
On January 4, 2025, Anthony scored a career-high 53 points. He also tied his career-high with 10 three-pointers in a loss to the Detroit Pistons.
National team career
Anthony Edwards played for the United States national team in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He started every game and was chosen for the All-FIBA World Cup Team. He was the top scorer for the U.S. team, averaging 18.9 points per game. The team finished in fourth place.
He was also named to the 2024 Olympic team. He helped Team USA win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. In six games, he averaged 12.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 58% from the field.
Player profile
Anthony Edwards mainly plays as a shooting guard. He is 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 meters) tall and weighs 225 pounds (102 kilograms). He is known for his amazing athleticism and powerful dunks. He often makes "poster dunks," which are so impressive they go viral online. One of his dunks was even named the NBA's 2023-24 Dunk of the Year.
Some people have compared him to a young Michael Jordan because of how well he finishes shots near the basket. His teammate, Mike Conley, said they have similar moves and work ethic.
Even though some worried about his long-range shooting before he joined the NBA, Anthony has become a great three-point shooter. He shoots about eight three-pointers per game and makes 36% of them. In 2024, he became the youngest player in NBA history to make 800 three-pointers.
His strong body and quickness have also made him a good defender. Team USA coach Steve Kerr called his defense "amazing." Anthony can guard both tall players and quick guards. He believes his defense is often "overlooked" by the media.
Personal life
Anthony Edwards's daughter, Aislynn, was born in March 2024. Anthony left a game early to be with Aislynn's mother when their child was born.
Anthony's mother, Yvette, and grandmother, Shirley, both passed away from cancer in 2015. This happened when he was in eighth grade. He wears the number 5 basketball jersey to honor them. They both died on the fifth day of the month. After their deaths, his sister, Antoinette, and brother, Antoine, raised him.
In high school, Anthony often worked as an instructor at youth basketball camps. He planned to study marketing when he went to the University of Georgia.
When he was a child, Anthony also played baseball and was very good at it. He has joked that he was skilled at many sports when he was younger. He owns two dogs and loves lions, but he doesn't think he has enough space to care for a lion.
Anthony Edwards also made his acting debut in the 2022 sports movie Hustle.
Images for kids
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Edwards playing for Georgia in February 2020
See also
In Spanish: Anthony Edwards (baloncestista) para niños
