Mark Jackson wants people to slow down with Anthony Edwards-Michael Jordan comparisons: "You got to pass an exit that says Kobe Bryant"
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Anthony Edwards shook the NBA world with his masterful performance in Game 1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves second-round playoff series against the defending champions Denver Nuggets.
After the game, fans and journalists started comparing Ant-Man to Michael Jordan. However, while Edwards’ Game 1 performance was undeniably Jordan-esque, former Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson wants people to hit the breaks on the Edwards-MJ comparisons.
“Before you get to the exit that says Michael Jordan, you got to pass an exit that says Kobe Bryant. So, what are we jumping to? He’s Ant Edwards,” Jackson said on his podcast. “The guy has won one playoff series in his entire life. Let’s slow down, pump the brakes, enjoy the ride, because he’s on his way to doing special things. But let’s just, let’s let it play out. This generation wants to anoint somebody. Do you realize that Harold Miner was on the trajectory at one point?”
The next MJ?
Long before Edwards, Miner was once dubbed as the next Michael Jordan. However, he was never near MJ’s level as a player.
Although Ant-Man has ridiculous hops, he isn’t known as an acrobatic high flyer like Mike or Miner. That said, Edwards plays with the same killer mentality that Mike and Kobe Bryant possessed.
Facing a Nuggets team that dismantled LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers 4-1, Edwards showed no fear and exploded for 43 points in Game 1. Ant-Man scored 25 first-half points and made one big basket after another late in the contest to put the defending champs away.
The Wolves opened the series as betting underdogs, but after Ant-Man’s Jordan-like showing in Game 1, Minnesota is now favored to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
Barkley agrees with Mark
Jackson isn’t the only one asking everyone to stop comparing Edwards to Jordan. Last week, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley also urged the media to hold off on the MJ comparisons for now.
“People forget he averaged 38 points a game back when you could knock the hell out of people. He averaged 38 points a game. People forget that, and then you know, Anthony—who I love—he doesn’t have to go through the ‘Bad Boys’ Pistons when they just beat the hell out of you three or four years in a row,” Charles said.
There’s no question that Edwards is the next big thing in the NBA. But while he is having an incredible start to the 2024 playoffs, it’s too early to put him in the same sentence as the likes of Kobe and MJ. However, if the T-Wolves superstar continues playing on this level, being compared to the legends of the game might be inevitable.