Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has no shortage of confidence.
Edwards recently sat down with Complex's Speedy Morman, where he flat-out rejected the idea that Michael Jordan, who was named NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times, would have been able to guard him.
"Hell nah—no," the 22-year-old said on 360 with Speedy after a brief pause.
"I ain't gonna say all that, but I'ma do my thing," Edwards responded when asked about the possibility of dropping 40 points while being guarded by Jordan. "He gonna know who I am when the game over with."
Edwards understands that a majority of people are not going to agree with his take, but stresses his opinion is rooted in his confidence in himself. "In my opinion, I mean, a lot of people gonna say differently. They gonna say I'm talking crazy, but this is just my confidence," he said. "I don't think it's gonna be easy and I think I'm gonna do my thing versus him, for sure."
"He's the greatest, don't get me wrong," Edwards added. "But my confidence is still at an all-time high."
Aside from calling Jordan the greatest NBA player of all time, Edwards said Denver Nuggets center and two-time league MVP Nikola Jokic is "hands down" the best player in the NBA today. The Timberwolves star believes Jokic made his case as the No. 1 in the league with a historic playoff run that culminated in the Nuggets' first championship in franchise history. Jokic averaged 30 points, 13.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists in 20 playoff games last season and set a new record for most triple-doubles in a single postseason with 10.
Edwards is aware that in order to be the best, you have to beat the best, but despite his strongest efforts, he has not been able to get his top target LeBron James one-on-one. "He's been the best player for a long time, so I think that's the main person who I try and cook," he said. "Him or [Kevin Durant], but they never guard me one-on-one."
In an appearance on The Old Man & the Three podcast last year, former Timberwolves teammate Patrick Beverley said Edwards has what it takes to become the next Jordan.
Edwards struck an oddly humble tone in rejecting such a comparison on 360 with Speedy. "I just want them to stop," he said. "Because he's the greatest to ever play basketball and I'm so far from it. Like, not even close. I just wish it stopped. Stop comparing me to Michael Jordan. He's Michael Jordan, I'm my own basketball player. Whatever I do, I do, but yeah, I'm nowhere near Michael Jordan."
