As the older era of legends like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant start to phase out, the basketball world will be in search of a new face of the NBA. Anthony Edwards is a prime candidate to claim the throne as the new face of the league. From his lovable personality to his mentality and success on the basketall court, Ant Man is one of one. He's becoming one of the most marketable players in the game and we've seen that with the debut of his signature shoe, which ranks No. 1 on our best basketball signature sneakers rankings.
Sprite has now entrusted Edwards to reintrouce the famous Obey Your Thirst campaign that has been an imporant mantra for the brand since1994.
"It was a no-brainer for me, especially knowing that I'm following Grant Hill's footsteps," Edwards tells Complex. "It's super cool, man. It is a staple in my hometown and I've been drinking Sprite all my life. You dream of doing something like this."
It's been a busy week for Ant Man as he's just been named to the USA's Olympic basketball team this summer in addition to the Sprite campaign. Not to mention, the Timberwolves will tip off postseason play this weekend against the Phoenix Suns.
We caught up with Anthony Edwards this week to talk about the next face of the NBA, playing in the Olympics this summer, where he ranks among the best in the league, and more.
(This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)
Let's talk about your partnership with Sprite. They've brought back the Obey Your Thirst campaign that we all grew up on. How did your partnership come about?
I mean, it was a no-brainer for me especially knowing that I'm following Grant Hill's footsteps. I'm just trying to bring the new culture in, mix it in with the old culture and bring it back to life. So that was pretty much just the whole idea of things.
Growing up, I think we've all seen the Sprite commercials with all the great names. How does it feel to be a part of this campaign?
It's super cool, man. It is a staple in my hometown and I've been drinking Sprite all my life. You dream of doing something like this and it was like I said, a no-brainer. Once they called and said something I'm like, 'let's do it.'
Sha'Carri Richardson is a part of this campagin as well. You guys are two of the younger stars in sports. What's it like to be a part of it with her especially with both of y'all going to the Olympics this summer?
Super dope, man. I don't really watch too much track, but I know she's super fast. I know she one of the best for sure. Big shout out to her. I'm happy for her.
Speaking of Olympics, Team USA was annonuced this week and you are on a stacked roster. To you, is this the greatest roster ever?
No, no, no, no, no, no. I don't think it's the greatest roster ever. I think the team, what was it? Jordan? Magic? Barkley?
Dream Team.
Yeah, the Dream Team. I think that was the greatest team ever.
How exciting is it for you as young guy about to play with some of the greatest names of all time?
It's super fun, man. I get to play alongside my favorite player of all time, which is Kevin Durant. But also I get to play alongside LeBron, Steph Curry, all the goats, man. So it should be fun.
We can't not talk about NBA playoffs, which is right around the corner. What is your mindset going into this postseason with a target on y'all back as a No. 3 seed?
I don't really have any. It's just going to be fun. Everybody know the playoffs are always going to be super competitive. A lot of back and forth, ups and downs. Just stay the course and we'll be all right.
I know you're probably not on Twitter as much, but fans have resurfaced your "they got KD but we got Jaden McDaniels" quote. Now we're going to see the matchup this week. How important is it for y'all to prove the doubters wrong this postseason?
I don't think we got to pretty much prove anybody wrong. We got to prove our ourselves right. It's going to be super big, man. It is going to be fun. They have a three-headed monster. It's going to be tough to beat 'em, but it's going to be fun.
Two years ago, I asked if you thought you could be the face of the NBA and you said you could. Do you feel like you're still trending to one day be the face of the league?
I just want to be one of the greatest players of all time here to put the work in face of the league. If it comes, it comes. If it don't, it don't. I'm just here to play for the Timberwolves.
Sprite is doing a phenomenal job of putting me out there to the world. And I can't do nothing but be blessed and be happy about it. So I'm going to try to represent them well.
I also asked you where you would rank yourself at that time? You said after that year, which was 2022, you think you'd be one of the top five players of the game. In 2024, do you believe you are a top five player in this game?
Yeah, for sure. For sure.
