Anthony Edwards has shortly develop into probably the most talked about younger stars within the NBA. His ascent over the past six months has been nothing in need of meteoric, making headlines each on and off the courtroom. Because the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Edwards has already led his crew to their first journey to the Western Convention Finals since 2004 and performed a pivotal function in Workforce USA’s gold medal run on the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
But, it’s not simply his on courtroom exploits which have captured the general public’s creativeness his social media presence has additionally drawn appreciable consideration. On Tuesday, Edwards took to Instagram to share a put up that encapsulated his journey and hinted at what lies forward.
The put up, captioned “It’s quite a lot of us,” shortly went viral, racking up over 82,000 likes in simply three hours. The phrase, which may be interpreted in varied methods, appeared to resonate with many, however one explicit remark stood out: former NBA star Josh Smith merely wrote, “Himington.”
final week: win a gold medal 🥇
this week: again within the lab pic.twitter.com/c3S8ll5KlI
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) August 20, 2024
Smith’s remark, whereas transient, holds vital weight when contemplating the connection between the 2 gamers. Each hail from Atlanta, Georgia, and have represented their hometown with pleasure on the NBA stage. Smith, who was chosen seventeenth general by the Atlanta Hawks within the 2004 NBA Draft straight out of highschool, made an instantaneous impression within the league together with his electrifying dunks and defensive prowess.
Though he by no means made an All-Star Sport, Smith is broadly considered the most effective dunkers in NBA historical past, and his legacy in Atlanta is cemented by the 9 seasons he spent with the Hawks.
Smith’s journey by way of the NBA additionally noticed him with the jerseys of the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, and New Orleans Pelicans earlier than he retired. His profession, marked by his athleticism and flexibility, serves as a blueprint for a lot of younger gamers from Atlanta seeking to make their mark within the league. Edwards, who’s following in these footsteps, appears poised to not solely match however probably surpass Smith’s achievements.
Edwards selected a unique path to the NBA, spending one yr enjoying school basketball on the College of Georgia (UGA) earlier than declaring for the NBA Draft. His choice to remain in-state for faculty basketball was a nod to his roots, additional endearing him to followers in Georgia. In 2020, Edwards was chosen with the primary general decide by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and in simply 4 seasons, he has already established himself as one of many league’s brightest younger stars.
Ant has shortly, however certainly develop into probably the most fashionable NBA stars of his era, not solely by his performances, however due to his wit
Final season, Edwards averaged 25.9 factors, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per recreation whereas taking pictures 46.1% from the sphere and 35.7% from past the arc. These numbers underline his scoring capability but additionally his all-around recreation, which has drawn comparisons to a number of the finest taking pictures guards in NBA historical past. At simply 23 years previous, Edwards’ potential appears limitless, and plenty of consider he might develop into one of many best gamers to ever play his place.
Followers on social media shortly picked up on the importance of Smith’s remark. One consumer, @ATL_Basketball_Fan, tweeted, “Josh Smith calling Ant ‘Himington’ is sort of a king knighting the following in line. Atlanta hoops royalty proper right here!” One other fan, @Hoops_4Life, posted, “Seeing Josh Smith give props to Ant is famous. The previous and the way forward for ATL basketball connecting!”
The connection between Smith and Edwards highlights a broader narrative throughout the NBA: the evolution of the sport and the passing of affect from one era of gamers to the following. As Edwards continues to construct his legacy, he carries with him the hopes and expectations of those that got here earlier than him, together with Smith.
For Atlanta, a metropolis with a wealthy basketball historical past, seeing considered one of its personal rise to the top of the game is a supply of immense pleasure. And for Edwards, the journey is simply starting. With each put up, each recreation, and each accolade, he cements his place not solely within the hearts of Timberwolves followers but additionally within the lineage of Atlanta’s basketball greats.
