The Avengers of American basketball assembled last summer in Paris to take home the gold in the 2024 Summer Olympics. On that team, it was an elite mixture of top players, led by the veterans LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant, followed by a multitude of rising superstars.
One of those younger players was Anthony Edwards, the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the man who just earned All-Star Game MVP this past weekend for his performance in leading Team Stars to the championship over Team Stripes.
Edwards Discusses What Makes Curry, Other Veterans 'Great'
In his press conference after the festivities, Edwards was asked about his experience with Team USA at the Olympics and what type of advice and knowledge he has gleaned from these older players who have set the bar for greatness in the league.
"Playing with the USA team taught me about having a routine, especially when it comes to being on the court. Watching Steph, KD, and Bron everyday do the same routine. It's normal for a person to get bored with the same thing, waking up and doing this every single day. But I feel like that's what made them great."
With a collective 50 All-Star appearances, 7 MVPs, and 7 Finals MVPs between the trio, there's no doubt that anything Edwards and the other young stars can learn will be beneficial to their prolonged success.
Is Edwards Next Up?
A lot of talk has been circulating about who the next face of the NBA will be once the old guard of James, Curry, and Durant retire. Those three, and especially James, have been at the top of the NBA for decades, and it's a bit unknown as to who will take over after them.
At least from an American perspective, it seems like Edwards is ready to assume that title of No. 1.
In the Olympics, Edwards clocked in at fourth in points per game across Team USA's six games, just behind the veteran trio. He did this even though he was coming off the bench and playing more than six minutes less than Devin Booker, who started over Edwards, and really made a splash as a dynamic scorer and charismatic personality.
His success obviously translates to the NBA, too, as he's currently third in points per game in the league at 29.3, just behind Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He is very clearly the top dog in Minnesota and has been the catalyst behind the Timberwolves' playoff success in recent years.
It may be a murkier discussion to wonder if Edwards can be the face of the entire NBA like James, Curry, or Durant were at points in their careers, particularly with the success of international players like Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, and more, but it seems like he has a firm grasp on being the leader for Team USA moving forward.