Anthony Edwards (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Anthony Edwards

Edwards with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2021
No. 5 – Minnesota Timberwolves
Shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(2001-08-05) August 5, 2001 (age 24) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
High school	Therrell (Atlanta, Georgia) Holy Spirit Prep (Atlanta, Georgia)
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
3× NBA All-Star (2023–2025) 2× All-NBA Second Team (2024, 2025) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2021) Second-team All-SEC (2020) SEC Rookie of the Year (2020) McDonald's All-American (2019)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2024 Paris Team

Anthony Edwards (born August 5, 2001) is an American professional basketball player. He is often called "Ant-Man" or "Ant". He plays as a shooting guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Edwards played college basketball for the Georgia Bulldogs. In the 2020 NBA draft, the Timberwolves chose him as the very first player. He has been an NBA All-Star three times and was named to the All-NBA Second Team twice. He 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 considered him one of the best young players in 2019. In his senior year, he was named a McDonald's All-American. He then went to play college basketball for Georgia, becoming their highest-rated recruit ever. After his first year, he was named SEC Freshman of the Year.

Early Life and Sports Beginnings

Anthony Edwards grew up in Oakland City, Atlanta, Georgia. When he was 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 was a top Pop Warner running back by age 10. Edwards decided to switch to basketball because he thought it looked more fun. He often played basketball with his brothers at their grandmother's house. When he started ninth grade, he began training with Justin Holland, a former college basketball player.

High School Basketball Journey

Edwards 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.

In 2018, Edwards helped Holy Spirit Preparatory win the state championship. He became one of the top recruits in the country. In his senior year, he averaged 29 points, nine rebounds, and two assists per game. He was chosen to play in the McDonald's All-American Game.

Choosing a College Team

Top recruiting services like 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals all rated Edwards as a five-star recruit. This means he was considered one of the best young players. On February 11, 2019, he decided to play college basketball for Georgia. This was a big deal because he was the best recruit Georgia had ever gotten in modern times.

Edwards chose Georgia because two of his favorite players, Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo, had been coached by Georgia's head coach, Tom Crean.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Anthony Edwards SG	Atlanta, GA	Holy Spirit Prep (GA)	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Feb 11, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 96
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 3  247Sports: 1  ESPN: 4
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Basketball Career

Edwards playing for Georgia in February 2020

On November 5, 2019, Edwards played his first game for the Georgia Bulldogs. He scored 24 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and made 4 steals. This was the most points 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 became the first Georgia freshman to score at least 37 points in a game since 1975.

On February 1, 2020, Edwards had 29 points and 15 rebounds against Texas A&M. 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. He was named to the All-SEC Second Team and was the SEC Freshman of the Year.

In March 2020, Edwards decided to enter the 2020 NBA draft. He was considered one of the top players available.

Professional NBA Career

Minnesota Timberwolves (2020–present)

Starting Strong: All-Rookie Honors (2020–21)

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 pick. On December 23, 2020, he played his first NBA game. He scored 15 points, had 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.

On March 18, 2021, Edwards scored a career-high 42 points against the Phoenix Suns. He became one of the youngest players in NBA history to score over 40 points. After his first season, he finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

First Playoff Appearance (2021–22)

On November 10, 2021, Edwards scored a career-high 48 points against the Golden State Warriors. On December 15, he scored 38 points and made a team record 10 three-pointers. He was the youngest NBA player ever to make 10 three-pointers in a game.

On January 25, 2022, he became the first NBA player to have at least 40 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals, and 5 three-pointers in one game. On April 7, 2022, Edwards scored a career-high 49 points against the San Antonio Spurs.

In his first playoff game on April 16, 2022, he scored 36 points and had 6 assists against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Timberwolves made it to the playoffs but lost to Memphis in six games.

Becoming an All-Star (2022–23)

On January 21, 2023, Edwards scored a season-high 44 points against the Houston Rockets. On February 10, 2023, he was named an All-Star for the first time. He was chosen as a reserve player.

In the playoffs, Edwards scored 41 points in Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets. This set a new Timberwolves record for most points in a playoff game. He joined Kobe Bryant as one of the youngest players with many 30-point playoff games. The Timberwolves were eliminated by the Nuggets in five games.

All-NBA Team Selection (2023–24)

Before the 2023–24 season, Edwards changed his jersey number from #1 to #5. On November 13, 2023, he was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week. He led Minnesota to a perfect 4–0 week.

On January 27, 2024, Edwards had 32 points, 6 rebounds, and a career-high 12 assists. On February 1, he was named to his second All-Star Game. On April 9, Edwards scored a career-high 51 points against the Washington Wizards. At the end of the season, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the first time.

In the 2024 NBA playoffs, Edwards scored 40 points in Game 4 against Phoenix. This helped the Timberwolves win their first playoff series in 20 years. He also set a new team record for most 30-point playoff games. In the Western Conference Semifinals, he scored a playoff career-high 43 points against the Denver Nuggets. He joined Kobe Bryant as the only players with back-to-back 40-point games at age 22 or younger in the playoffs. The Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals but lost to the Dallas Mavericks in five games.

Leading in Three-Pointers (2024–25)

Edwards (left) with Donte DiVincenzo in 2024.

On January 4, 2025, Edwards scored a career-high 53 points and tied his career-high with 10 three-pointers. On January 25, Edwards broke the Timberwolves' record for most career three-pointers. On January 30, he was named to his third straight All-Star Game.

On February 5, Edwards scored 49 points against the Chicago Bulls. The next day, he had 41 points against the Houston Rockets. This was his 14th career 40-point game, setting a new team record. He also became the youngest player in NBA history to make 1,000 career three-point baskets. On February 10, Edwards scored 44 points, becoming the first Timberwolves player to have three straight 40-point games.

On April 10, Edwards scored 44 points, helping the Timberwolves beat the Memphis Grizzlies. At the end of the season, Edwards led the NBA in three-pointers made with 320. This was the first time he made over 300 three-pointers in a season.

In the 2025 NBA playoffs, Edwards scored 43 points in Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers. On May 6, he had 23 points and a playoff career-high 14 rebounds against the Golden State Warriors. On May 14, he had 22 points, 7 rebounds, and a playoff career-high 12 assists, helping the Timberwolves reach their second straight Western Conference Finals. They lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games.

Playing for Team USA

Edwards played for the United States national team in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He was the team's top scorer, averaging 18.9 points per game. He was also chosen for the All-FIBA World Cup Team. The team finished in fourth place.

He was also part of the 2024 Olympic team. He helped Team USA win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. He averaged 12.8 points per game during the tournament.

Player Skills and Style

Anthony Edwards mainly plays as a shooting guard. He is 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 225 pounds. He is known for his amazing athleticism and powerful dunks. One of his dunks was even named the NBA's Dunk of the Year for 2023–24.

Experts have compared him to a young Michael Jordan because of how he finishes shots near the basket. His teammate Mike Conley said they have similar moves and work ethic.

Even though some people worried about his long-range shooting before he joined the NBA, Edwards has become a great three-point shooter. He led the NBA in three-pointers made in the 2024–25 season. He also became the youngest player in NBA history to make 1,000 three-pointers.

Edwards is also a strong defender. Team USA coach Steve Kerr called his defense "amazing." His ability to guard different types of players has been praised by his coach, Chris Finch. Edwards believes his defense is often "overlooked." In 2024, he won the NBA Fan Favorite award for Block of the Year for a game-saving block.

Career Statistics

College

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal Life

Anthony Edwards became a father in March 2024 when his daughter, Aislynn, was born.

His mother, Yvette, and grandmother, Shirley, both passed away from cancer in 2015. They both died on the fifth day of the month. To honor them, Edwards has worn the number 5 jersey since high school. After their deaths, his older sister, Antoinette, and brother, Antoine, helped raise him.

When he was younger, Edwards was also a talented baseball player. He often joked that he was good at many different sports. He owns two dogs and loves lions, but he knows he doesn't have enough space for one.

In 2022, Edwards made his acting debut in the sports drama movie Hustle.

In 2023, Adidas released the AE1, which is his very own signature basketball shoe. It quickly became very popular.

See also

In Spanish: Anthony Edwards (baloncestista) para niños

• List of NBA single-season 3-point scoring leaders