"It's not by coincidence he's having the year he's having" - Kevin Garnett on the jump Anthony Edwards made after playing for Team USA
Anthony Edwards has been on a whole different level this season. After averaging a career-high 25.9 points and 5.1 assists per game in the regular season, he has brought his game to new heights in the NBA Playoffs, averaging 31.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in the Minnesota Timberwolves' surprising four-game sweep of the vaunted Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs.
While many are still surprised by Ant's ascent to elite status in the league, one NBA icon and former Minnesota superstar isn't: Kevin Garnett.
The one-time league MVP said Ant-Man's status as one of the league's best right now is a product of his hard work and determination to become a better player in the offseason and the time he spent playing for Team USA in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila, Philippines, last year.
Time spent with some of the world's best
Ant's first experience with the men's national basketball team wasn't as fruitful as he would have liked it to be. Team USA finished out of the podium after getting beaten by Canada in the bronze-medal match. However, he showed how ready he was to take on a larger role, whether it was on the Timberwolves or the national team, as he led Team USA in scoring with 18.9 points per game, highlighted by a 35-point outburst against Lithuania.
KG witnessed this and considered Edward's performances on that stage a prelude to what many see now.
"I actually watched Anthony Edwards going to Team USA, preparing as if he was getting ready for a whole other season. It's not by coincidence he's having the year he's having. For me, I think that it all started by that," KG said on KG Certified.
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Take the chance
"The Big Ticket" got to play for Team USA in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where he won his lone gold medal. By then, he had just completed his fifth NBA season and established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the league. However, being around the best American hoopers was an eye-opener for the 15-time All-Star. As such, he encouraged today's young stars to take the opportunity to play or even practice with Team USA if the opportunity presents itself.
"Let me say this to all the young guys who have the ability and the chance to either practice or play with the USA team: take it, man," KG shared. "Because those workouts, those types of workouts in the summer, actually propel you. So if you're a young guy, got a chance to either be a fly on the wall, have the experience, take the experience."
Had KG not agreed to suit up for Team USA in Sydney, he would have witnessed first-hand one of the greatest dunks in hoop history: Vince Carter's massive flush over French 7-footer Fred Weis.
"During the game, Vince stole the ball and drove to the basket. Standing between him and the hoop was a 7'2" monster. Vince leaped over the monster and dunked with the force of Satan. Later, the French writers called it 'le dunk de la mort" - the dunk of death. I got so excited that in my mind, I saw the monster as Yao Ming," KG said of VC's unforgettable Olympic moment.
Like KG, Ant-Man is also set to make his Olympic debut later this year after being selected to play for Team USA in the men's basketball tournament of the 2024 Summer Olympics in France.
