Timberwolves rising star Anthony Edwards has quickly garnered a reputation as a trash talker among his peers. Now Edwards' talk has reached another level, and a few Hall of Famers have fired back at the 23-year-old.
Edwards recently made headlines with a bold claim about a lack of skill level among players in Michael Jordan's generation. In the digital age, it didn't take long for Edwards' comments to set NBA Twitter on fire, with analysts and fans pointing out the flaws in his argument.
The situation has since escalated, as Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson have fired back at Edwards, creating yet another generational battle in NBA talking circles.
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What did Anthony Edwards say?
Edwards was asked about the differences between his generation of the NBA and prior generations in an interview with Lane Florsheim of the Wall Street Journal. His answer has caused quite a stir.
"They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had skill back then," Edwards said.
"[Michael Jordan] was the only one that really had skill, you know what I mean? So that’s why when they saw Kobe [Bryant], they were like, 'Oh, my God.' But now everybody has skill."
Edwards acknowledged the level of physicality that was present in the 1980s and 1990s but made a massive oversight on the number of all-time greats that suited up during that time period. Fittingly, two generational talents from that era have responded.
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Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas fire back at Anthony Edwards
Thomas was one of the first to respond to Edwards' claim, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to a graphic of the bold claim.
"Propaganda works," Thomas wrote. "So be careful what you choose to believe."
Propaganda works, so be careful what you choose to believe. https://t.co/A2fJvxDlmd
— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) August 20, 2024
While Thomas took more of a mentorship angle in his response, Johnson fought fire with fire. In an interview with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, the Lakers legend called Edwards' credentials as a winner into question.
"I never respond to a guy that's never won a championship," Johnson said as the crowd cheered. "There's nothing to really say — he didn't win a college championship, I don't even know if he won a high school championship."
"I never respond to a guy who's never won a championship... He didn't win a college championship, I don't even know if he won a high school championship."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 25, 2024
Magic Johnson didn't hold back while responding to Anthony Edwards' comments 👀😳
(via https://t.co/gnCFAy8D5B / IG) pic.twitter.com/8KUrvm4vZw
Regarding winning, Edwards is fresh off leading Minnesota to one of the most successful seasons in franchise history, but it did not result in an NBA title. The Timberwolves fell in the Western Conference semifinals.
In the aforementioned Wall Street Journal interview, Edwards explained that he understands that making it to the NBA's mountaintop is a process that doesn't often happen within the first four seasons of a player's career.
That said, Johnson won his first of five NBA titles as a rookie, and Thomas also won two NBA titles in his career. As it stands, Edwards has an Olympic gold medal and, perhaps to the dismay of Johnson, a 2018 Georgia Independent School Association state championship to his name.
Until Edwards hoists the Larry O'Brien trophy, however, the NBA's legends are unlikely to let him hear the end of it.
