Not since I was a teenage kid have I been as excited about a professional athlete the way I am about Anthony Edwards. As a 51 year-old man I almost feel silly cheering for this 22 year-old phenom who led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 120-95 win over Phoenix in game one of the opening round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs as hard as I do. But in my defense it is hard not to get caught up on the excitement of what he brings to the court.
It reminds me of the way I cheered and looked up to Kirby Puckett when I was growing up. Puck was an easy guy to cheer for because he always tried to put the team on his back; with the most classic case being in 1991 in Game 6 of the World Series. KIrby hustled down the first baseline on every ground out, and if he did strike out, he almost always went down swinging.
Edwards reminds me of Puckett in that sense. It is an early sample size, but “ANT” seems to have those qualities in big games where he wants to put the team on his back and give 100 percent, especially when it matters the most. Edwards had a rough first half Saturday against the Suns, but bounced back to lead the Wolves with 33 points in the dominant victory over the Suns.
There is no guarantee that the Wolves will win this series, or win a NBA World Championship anytime soon, but I do think they will win one with Edwards leading the Timberwolves organization over the next few years much the way that Puckett did in 1987 and 1991. Especially in 1991 and the plays he made in game six.
I loved watching Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson, Marion Gaborik, Kevin Garnett, Torii Hunter and other superstars that have played for Minnesota professional sports teams, but Edwards seems different; and why I think he will be the next superstar to win a championship with his leadership both on and off the court for my hometown state the way Puckett did. And why I am not ashamed to put posters of Edwards up in my mancave now in my older age, the same way I did with Puckett in by bedroom when I was in high school and college.
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