Controversy has been generated by Anthony Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves star, with his latest comments. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published this week, Edwards made a statement that has stoked controversy.
This statement drew criticism from different quarters of the basketball world since he claimed that Michael Jordan was the only skilled player in his era. However, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith urges fans and critics alike to be more understanding.
“Forgive the young buck for what he does not know,” Smith said. “He openly admits that his youth plays a role, and he’s barely seen the competition from back in the day. So, he just doesn’t know.” Edwards was asked how today’s game differs from when Jordan dominated it.
He admitted that he hadn’t watched much NBA from the 80s and 90s. Still, he managed to swipe at people who had come before him by asking if any player other than Jordan had true basketball skills.
Game Evolution Acknowledged
According to Smith, this game has changed dramatically since then, as today’s players can be considered better skilled in certain aspects than their predecessors, though, as Edwards suggests, there were other skilled players during this time besides Jordan.
“And so evidently, when you talk about Michael Jordan, there is no way possible that he saw Charles Barkley play,” Smith added. “He didn’t see Larry Bird play. He didn’t see Isiah Thomas, one of the most skilled point guards this game has ever seen”.
There was a man Michael Jordan called the second-best point guard in basketball history right behind Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson himself, but One Ant Edwards did not mention it”. Very few people responded directly after Zeke Isiah Thomas took on Edward’s comments about social media platform ‘X,’ suggesting they were designed to cause friction rather than coming from a sincere standpoint.
“Beware of propaganda because it works,” Thomas tweeted. Edwards doesn’t have to make controversial statements just for clout, given his growing popularity. Stephen A. Smith’s plea for leniency might be rooted in the understanding that Edwards, who considers Kevin Durant his GOAT, may simply be too young to fully appreciate the greatness of players from previous generations.
