Anthony Edwards

Early life

Edwards spent his early life in Oakland City, Atlanta, Georgia. When he was three years old, he was given the nickname "Ant-Man" by his father. For much of his childhood, Edwards played football in the running back, quarterback, and cornerback positions. He played youth football for the Atlanta Vikings and became one of the best Pop Warner running backs in the country by age 10. Edwards switched his focus to basketball because he "thought it looked more fun" after watching his brothers play the sport. He often played basketball with his brothers at their grandmother's house. Entering ninth grade, he began training with Justin Holland, a former college basketball player for Liberty and an Atlanta-based basketball trainer.

High school

Due to his success with the Atlanta Xpress 15-under Amateur Athletic Union team, Edwards was considered a four-star recruit by Rivals in 2016. He began playing high school basketball for Therrell High School in Atlanta as a member of the 2019 class. In early January 2017, Edwards transferred to Holy Spirit Preparatory School in Atlanta and reclassified to the 2020 class. He made the move in an effort to improve his academic performance, since Holy Spirit Preparatory had "small class sizes and support to help that."

In March 2018, Edwards helped Holy Spirit Preparatory defeat The Heritage School for the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) Class AAA state championship. He reclassified back to the 2019 class in November 2018 after seeing academic improvement. As a result, Edwards rose to become the number one recruit in the Top247 rankings by recruiting website 247Sports. In his senior season, his team finished as GISA Class AAA runners-up to The Heritage School, despite 27 points from Edwards. At the end of the season, he was averaging 29 points, nine rebounds, and two assists per game. Edwards garnered USA Today All-USA first team recognition. He played in the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic in March and April 2019, respectively.

Recruiting

By consensus among major recruiting services 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals, Edwards was rated a five-star recruit, top-five player, and the top shooting guard in the 2019 class. On February 11, 2019, he committed to play college basketball for Georgia, becoming the program's best recruit in the modern recruiting era. Edwards chose the Bulldogs over offers from Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina. He was drawn to Georgia because two of his favorite players, Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo, had been coached in college by head coach Tom Crean.

College career

On November 5, 2019, Edwards made his debut for the Georgia Bulldogs, recording 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 steals in a 91–72 win over Western Carolina. It was the most points by a Georgia freshman debutant since Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Dominique Wilkins in 1979. On November 26, he scored a season-high 37 points, including 33 in the second half, and posted six rebounds, four steals, and three blocks in a 93–85 loss to third-ranked Michigan State at the Maui Invitational. Edwards became the first Georgia freshman to score at least 37 points in a game since Jacky Dorsey in 1975. In his final game at the tournament, he led all scorers with 24 points and made the game-winning shot against NCAA Division II team Chaminade.

On February 1, 2020, Edwards recorded 29 points and 15 rebounds, both game-highs, in a 63–48 victory over Texas A&M. In his next game, he led all scorers with 32 points in an 81–75 loss to Florida. On February 26, Edwards scored 36 points and collected seven rebounds, four assists and four steals, in a 94–90 overtime defeat to South Carolina. As a freshman, he averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Edwards was the top scorer on his team and among freshmen nationally. He earned second-team All-SEC and SEC Freshman of the Year honors. Edwards collected SEC Freshman of the Week accolades four times during the season, the most in program history. He was also one of five finalists for the Jerry West Award, which recognizes the top collegiate shooting guard.

On March 20, 2020, in the spring of his freshman year, Edwards declared for the 2020 NBA draft as one of the most touted prospects in his class. He signed with an agent, forgoing his remaining college basketball eligibility.

Professional career

Minnesota Timberwolves (2020–present)

The 2020 NBA draft was delayed by five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Edwards as the No. 1 overall pick on draft night. On December 23, 2020, he made his NBA debut, putting up 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in 25 minutes, in a 111–101 win against the Detroit Pistons. On March 18, 2021, Edwards scored a then career-high 42 points, along with 7 rebounds and 3 assists, in a game against the Phoenix Suns, becoming the third-youngest player to score 40+ points in NBA history. After the season, he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

On November 10, 2021, Edwards scored a then career-high 48 points on 7 three-pointers in a 123–110 loss to the Golden State Warriors. On December 15, Edwards had 38 points and a franchise record 10 three-pointers in a 124–107 win over the Denver Nuggets. He became the youngest NBA player ever with 10 three-pointers in a game, breaking the previous record set in 2015 by Kyrie Irving at age 22. Edwards also reached 2,000 career points in fewer games than any player in franchise history. On January 25, 2022, in a 109–107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, he became the first player in NBA history to record a stat line of at least 40 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals, and 5 three-pointers in a single game; he joined Carmelo Anthony as the only players to score 40 points without an assist at 20 years old or younger. On April 7, 2022, Edwards scored a then career-high 49 points in a 127–121 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

In his playoff debut on April 16, 2022, he logged 36 points and 6 assists in a 130–117 Game 1 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round of the 2022 NBA playoffs. Minnesota lost to Memphis despite Edwards's 30-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist, 2-steal and 2-block outing in the 114–106 close-out loss in Game 6.

On January 21, 2023, Edwards scored a season-high 44 points, including a season-high 8 three-pointers, along with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in a 113–104 win over the Houston Rockets. On February 10, 2023, he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career as a reserve. Edwards and De'Aaron Fox were announced as injury replacements for injured stars Stephen Curry and Zion Williamson. On April 9, in the final game of the 2022–23 season, Edwards recorded 26 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks to help lead the Timberwolves to a 113–108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, earning the eight seed in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

National team career

Edwards was a member of the United States national team that competed in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He started all eight games and was selected in the All-FIBA World Cup Team. He was the leading scorer for the U.S., averaging 18.9 points per game. The team finished in fourth place. He was named to the 2024 Olympic team. He helped Team USA win the gold medal, and in six games, he averaged 12.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 58% from the field.

Player profile

Edwards plays primarily as a shooting guard. He is listed at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and weighs 225lb (102 kilograms). He’s known for his explosive athleticism, often going viral for his thunderous poster dunks, including one over John Collins that the NBA named the 2023–24 Dunk of the Year. The Ringer called him "a preposterous athlete with a nice jumper and better instincts". He’s drawn comparisons to a young Michael Jordan for his ability to finish around the rim. “They have a lot of the same mannerisms. The moves, the fadeaway, the athleticism, the poster dunks… that same kind of work ethic, that same kind of ‘I don’t sleep at all at night because I’m ready to play, I’m ready to hoop,” according to teammate Mike Conley.

Despite pre-draft concerns that he was a limited long-range scorer, Edwards has developed an efficient, high-volume three-point shot — shooting 37% on eight attempts per game. He led the NBA in three-pointers made for the 2024–25 season. The same year, he became the youngest player in NBA history to make 1,000 threes.

His stout frame, lateral speed and competitiveness have helped transform his reputation on the defensive end — Team USA coach Steve Kerr called his on-ball defense “amazing” during the FIBA World Cup. His ability to match up against both long wings and shifty guards has garnered praise from Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch. Edwards himself believes his defense is “overlooked” by the national media. In 2024, he won the NBA Fan Favorite award for Block of Year after leaping to prevent a game-winning shot by the Pacers' Aaron Nesmith.

Awards and honors

NBA

4× NBA All-Star: 2023–2026

NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2026

2× All-NBA Second Team: 2024, 2025

NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2021

NBA three-point scoring leader: 2025

USA Basketball

Olympics gold medalist: 2024

FIBA Basketball World Cup All-Tournament Team: 2023

Career statistics

Personal life

Edwards's daughter, Aislynn, was born in March 2024. Edwards left the Timberwolves' March 1 game against the Sacramento Kings at halftime to be with Aislynn's mother, Shannon Jackson, as their child was born. Edwards and Jackson got married on July 16, 2026. Including Aislynn, Edwards reportedly has four children with four different women.

Edwards's mother, Yvette, and grandmother, Shirley, both died of cancer during an eight-month span in 2015, when he was in eighth grade. He has worn the No. 5 basketball jersey since high school to honor them, as they both died on the fifth day of the month. After their deaths, Edwards was raised by his sister, Antoinette, and brother, Antoine, who shared legal custody of him. In high school, Edwards frequently worked as an instructor at youth camps. He intended to major in marketing while attending the University of Georgia.

During his childhood, Edwards also starred in baseball, often acting as his team's fourth or fifth hitter in the batting order. He has jokingly said he was very skilled at a variety of sports when he was younger. He owns two dogs and has also expressed his affinity for lions, although he does not believe he has the requisite space to care for one.

Edwards made his acting debut in the 2022 sports drama film Hustle.

In 2023, Adidas released the AE1, his first signature shoe. It quickly became a best-seller, prompting the company to sign him to a multiyear extension worth "around $50 million".

Controversies

In September 2022, Edwards posted a video to his Instagram story referring to a group of shirtless men standing on a sidewalk with a homophobic slur. The NBA fined him $40,000 for using "offensive and derogatory language."

In December 2023, Paige Jordae, an Instagram model, accused Edwards of impregnating her and then offering her $100,000 to get an abortion. Jordae posted screenshots of text messages with Edwards. The screenshots, which were initially posted to Jordae's Instagram story, also included a screenshot of a pending wire transfer of $100,000 on November 27, 2023. Edwards responded, "I am handling my personal matters privately and will not be commenting on them any further at this time."