The Anthony Edwards Era Has Arrived

The second coming of Michael Jordan. That’s what everyone’s saying about Anthony Edwards. But the Minnesota Timberwolves superstar is his own beast, an electric, gravity-defying, trash-talking dunking machine that at 23 years old is the future face of the NBA. After winning gold as a member of Team U.S.A. at the Paris Olympics, the Ant-Man is getting ready to lead his team to another run at the NBA championship. But before he hits the court, the Atlanta native Zoomed with his fellow Georgian Chris Tucker to talk about, among other things, the price of being great.

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TUESDAY 2 PM SEPTEMBER 3, 2024 MINNEAPOLIS

CHRIS TUCKER: What’s up man!

ANTHONY EDWARDS: What’s happenin’?

TUCKER: Man, it’s a pleasure. You just finished training?

EDWARDS: Nah, I had a procedure, so I’ve been off the last couple of days.

TUCKER: What was it? Your back or something?

EDWARDS: Yeah, my back.

TUCKER: You good though? You going to be ready for the season?

EDWARDS: Hell yeah. I be ready.

TUCKER: [Laughs] You act so much like Michael Jordan. Is he your daddy?

EDWARDS: [Laughs]

TUCKER: I just want to get that out there. That’s what I thought. I said, “That might be Michael’s kid.” But I say that because you remind me of one of the greatest, if not the greatest. You bringing that fire and you ain’t trying to be everybody’s friend. You are trying to win. And that’s what Michael was, love it or hate it. Did you watch him growing up?

EDWARDS: Growing up I was a football player, so I didn’t even really watch Mike.

TUCKER: What?!

EDWARDS: Yeah, I didn’t see any of his games, just the highlights.

TUCKER: Wow. You talk junk, and Michael talked junk, and we love that. Because a lot of the players are too friendly. You don’t know if they really want to win. I grew up in the backyard playing with my brother. I hated to lose.

EDWARDS: Me too.

TUCKER: Who did you play with growing up?

EDWARDS: My two older brothers, and I could never win, so I think that’s what made me tough.

TUCKER: That’s crazy because that’s how Michael was. He had an older brother who they say was cold-blooded.

EDWARDS: My brother cold.

TUCKER: I think that’s god molding us at a young age—people like you and Michael—to build that fire in you to be great.

EDWARDS: Yep.

TUCKER: What part of Georgia are you from?

EDWARDS: Atlanta. I’m from the west side, over there by Bankhead.

TUCKER: I’m from Decatur where it’s greater.

EDWARDS: Oh, you from Decatur?

TUCKER: Went to Columbia High School, graduated in 1990.

EDWARDS: I wasn’t even thought about then.

TUCKER: When were you born?

EDWARDS: August 2001.

TUCKER: Dang, I had Rush Hour 2 in 2001. I was doing my thang.

EDWARDS: Yeah, that’s when you were at the spa picking up girls; you wanted to get a massage.

TUCKER: Yep, yep, yep. That was when we was in Hong Kong.

EDWARDS: [Laughs] For sure.

TUCKER: We had so much fun, man. We was riding off the success of the first one. We did the third Rush Hour in Paris. Did you get any chance to see Paris while you were out there? I know you were working.

EDWARDS: Yeah, I was able to get out a little bit.

TUCKER: You got some shopping in?

EDWARDS: I’m not a big shopper, but I went to [REDACTED] and bought two items. It’s a lot cheaper over there.

TUCKER: That’s what I did when I was making money, too. [Laughs] I made Dolce & Gabbana rich. How does it feel to have won a gold medal—and winning it with some of your heroes, people you grew up watching?

EDWARDS: It felt good playing alongside K.D. [Kevin Durant], who is my favorite player of all time. But winning it and the way that we won it was the greatest thing ever. I mean, we was down 18 points to Serbia, came back, and then beat France in France. It was a fantastic finish.

TUCKER: That’s awesome, man. Now tell me this, why K.D.? You got LeBron, you had Kobe, you got Steph. Why is K.D. your favorite player?

EDWARDS: Before I met him, I felt like he was super cool, and then when I met him, I realized we are the same. All we want to do is hoop. We let our people control our stuff, but we just want to get on the court and hoop. That’s what I realized when I first got around him. Every time he walks in the gym, he grabs a ball and goes straight to the court before he puts his clothes on, and just starts shooting. And then off the court we’d just be chilling.

TUCKER: That’s how I felt when I met Eddie Murphy for the first time. He was my childhood hero. I met Richard Pryor, too.

EDWARDS: I heard Richard Pryor was funny.

TUCKER: He’s the king, man.

EDWARDS: That’s what they say.

TUCKER: Everybody loved Rich. When he was doing stand-up, it was like he was doing a play. He can do impressions, characters, he was just naturally funny. And Eddie, he was a rock star in stand-up. I wanted to do Rush Hour because that was my Beverly Hills Cop. To this day, I see Eddie and I’m like, “Man, there goes Eddie Murphy.”

EDWARDS: That’s how I am with K.D. “Man, there goes K.D.”

TUCKER: Isn’t that crazy? As great as you are, you’re still saying that. And you got so many fans now, and people are like, “Oh, even he’s got a hero.” We’re all standing on the shoulders of so many people.

EDWARDS: Exactly.

TUCKER: You’re 21 years old?

EDWARDS: I just turned 23 in Paris.

TUCKER: You had your birthday in Paris?

EDWARDS: Yeah.

TUCKER: Did they do a cake for you, LeBron and them?

EDWARDS: Yeah, we had a little party. They all showed up.

TUCKER: That’s hot, man! You had boys honoring you because you next, man. They know it, too. You’re the face now.

EDWARDS: That’s what they be saying. [Laughs]

TUCKER: Because you are, man. Just stay on that right path. So are you going to vote this year? You ain’t got to tell me who you’re going to vote for.

EDWARDS: Yeah, I’m going to vote.

TUCKER: That’s what I’m talking about. You going to vote in Atlanta?

EDWARDS: Probably Minnesota.

TUCKER: So you’re 23. I got a son who’s 25.

EDWARDS: That’s your oldest?

TUCKER: I only got one son. They’re too expensive. I had one and that was it. That’s the golden number.

EDWARDS: You’re right about that. They’re expensive.

TUCKER: I’m just playing. I got one, and he’s great. Do you regret doing one year of college? Because I never went. I went straight to the comedy clubs and did my thing because school was difficult for me. I was a class clown.

EDWARDS: No, I don’t regret it. I was a class clown too and school was hard for me. I was the same as you. I was ready to get out there. I wish I could have went [to the NBA] out of high school, honestly.

TUCKER: I felt the same way. In the 10th grade, I had to figure out what I was going to do. I said, “I know I ain’t going to college because school is already tough for me and I ain’t going to the military because they get up too early.” So I entered the talent show, told my first joke, and that was it. I got a little laugh and said, “I can build on this.” That’s also when you were a young kid playing football. You told me you weren’t even interested in basketball. Did you ever think you could go pro?

EDWARDS: I thought I was going into pro football throughout my whole life.

TUCKER: What made you switch over to basketball?

EDWARDS: Growing up I always wanted to be my older brother and he never played football, but he was super good at basketball. In the eighth grade I started taking it a little seriously, and we ended up going to school together. I was a freshman, he was a senior, and I saw how everybody was like, “Bubba this, Bubba that.” And I’m like, “Man, I got to be better than him one day.” I stopped playing football and started focusing on basketball.

TUCKER: Wow. How are your brothers and sisters responding to your fame and success?

EDWARDS: They say, “I knew you was going to be something.” But they definitely still treat me like I ain’t nobody, which I like.

TUCKER: That’s how my brothers and sisters still are to this day. Like, “Boy, shut up.”

EDWARDS: When I’m around them I can be cool, take a nap. I ain’t got to worry about nobody doing too much.

TUCKER: That’s what’s so awesome, when you have a good family, because you can be yourself. Out in the world, you’re this hero. The whole world stops. “There goes Anthony Edwards.” But when you go home they’re like, “What’s up man? What’s going on?”

EDWARDS: Exactly. Look though, I got a question.

TUCKER: Go ahead.

EDWARDS: What was your reaction when you seen shawty in Friday, when she said she was looking like Janet Jackson.

TUCKER: Oh, you talking about the big girl?

EDWARDS: “Got out of the car looking more like Freddie Jackson.”

TUCKER: “What’s wrong with you girl? Hooked up with that big girl!”

EDWARDS: [Laughs] That’s a classic.

TUCKER: Thank you man. We had so much fun. I had so much freedom. It’s like you on the court. [Ice] Cube just let me go. That was my first costarring role and that was my shot. I said, “This is going to get me to my next movies.”

EDWARDS: That was crazy. I still watch it to this day.

TUCKER: Thank you, man. That’s a great question. Ask some more questions.

EDWARDS: What about when you was trying to sing on Rush Hour?

TUCKER: Oh, you know I’m a big fan of Michael [Jackson].

EDWARDS: You be doing the impressions and shit.

TUCKER: Every one of my movies, I did something about Michael. I thought we were kindred spirits. I wanted the energy that Michael had when he hit the stage. I wanted that when I hit the screen. Just like when you hit the floor, everybody’s like, “Oh, shoot, he’s about to do something. Something’s going to happen any minute.”

EDWARDS: Yeah, for sure.

TUCKER: Growing up with your grandparents, how much wisdom did you get from them?

EDWARDS: A lot, bro. That’s why I am how I am. My granddad wakes up, goes to the grocery store, gets him some garlic, and just drinks a whole bunch of water, bro. He be chilling. He stays to himself, don’t do too much. He goes from the house to the grocery store back to the house. I think I got my coolness from him. Just being laid back, not doing too much.

TUCKER: That’s a blessing. Now, I know you lost your mom, and I’m a mama’s boy. You said you’re a lot like her. Is that a lot of your motivation and drive?

EDWARDS: Yeah, for sure. I know if she was here she’d be super proud, just cheering me on in everything I do. Every time I step on the court, I just want to put on a show for her and my grandma. That’s pretty much it. Everybody else I don’t really care about. If I play good or bad, I ain’t really trippin’, as long as I made them proud.

TUCKER: I know they are with you. I believe that wholeheartedly. Do you think this year y’all ready to win a championship? Y’all got all the tools?

EDWARDS: Last year we were clicking at the right time in the playoffs, and then we stopped clicking at the wrong time. Versus Dallas, we weren’t clicking, wasn’t hitting shots. This year we got another chance to do something special, but it all depends on the team, on us as a group. If we come together and don’t worry about individual stats and accolades, we’ll be alright.

TUCKER: That’s a big thing in the NBA? People worry about their stats because of a new contract?

EDWARDS: Hell yeah. Because at the end of the day you’re trying to feed your family, so people worry about themselves and what they can do. But in order to feed your family, you got to win.

TUCKER: That’s right.

EDWARDS: After what we did last year, everybody realized, “Alright, we all got one goal in mind.” If we win, then everybody is going to get paid because they’re going to be like, “He’s a winner, and they know how to win.” We got to figure that part out.

TUCKER: Do you like the way Kobe and Jordan went at their teammates? “Y’all going to come up to my level right now.”

EDWARDS: I can agree to disagree, because in today’s game everybody’s different. You can’t talk to everybody the same. You got to talk to players differently. Certain players can take it. I talk to some of my teammates like, “Hey, get your shit together.” But some players, you got to go talk to them on the side. You can’t really cuss them out in front of everybody.

TUCKER: Yep.

EDWARDS: You just got to know how to do it.

TUCKER: That’s smart. Can’t cuss everybody. I got family and they be like, “Man, I knew you when you couldn’t tie your shoe.”

EDWARDS: Exactly.

TUCKER: We all got our own egos. That was your first time getting a passport when you went to Paris?

EDWARDS: No, I played with Team U.S.A. the year before in the World Cup and that was my first time going out of the country. We went to Abu Dhabi, Spain, and Manila.

TUCKER: How do you like going to different places around the world?

EDWARDS: It was cool. I don’t really like to fly, but if it’s required through basketball, I’ll do it.

TUCKER: How’s your spiritual life? Did you grow up in church?

EDWARDS: Yeah, my grandma used to take us to church. She tried for every Sunday, but I had football games sometimes. But whenever I was free she’d make me go to church for sure.

TUCKER: How’s your spiritual life now? Do you pray every morning? Do you meditate? What do you do?

EDWARDS: I pray before I eat a lot of times, but that’s about it. We pray before the game as a team, but I don’t really go to church or anything like that.

TUCKER: So what do you think about Ja Morant? Would you like to play him one-on-one, or do you feel like he’s one of the guys you’re going to have to battle in the next 10 years?

EDWARDS: Oh yeah, he’ll be back this year. A lot of people, I ain’t going to say they forgot about him, but he went under wraps for a few months, because he hasn’t been playing. But as far as one-on-one, yeah, I can probably cook him.

TUCKER: [Laughs] I love when you say that.

EDWARDS: That’s my dog, but one-on-one?

TUCKER: I met him, we had a good little conversation, and he’s a great guy. I think you two are going to take over the league and win multiple championships. But I’m a big fan of yours. I said, “I got to meet this guy.” I think I saw you one time at All-Star Weekend. I said, “He’s from Georgia? That’s my boy.” I claimed you already. Anything you need from me—a cat that’s 52, been through it—I’m here. And one piece of advice: Handle your business now. Start investing. When I was your age, I bought a bunch of houses and they weren’t making no money for me. I just needed a place to go to relax, but I wish I’d bought some condos. When you get them checks, buy some condos. Buy some apartment buildings now. That’s what I tell all my young bucks when they get the big paper. Don’t put it in the bank because they are going to be making money off your money. Make sure you handle that. You cannot ignore that.

EDWARDS: I got you.

TUCKER: We’ll exchange numbers, and god bless you man.

EDWARDS: God bless you, too. I’m definitely going to need your number because I’m probably going to be acting when I retire, so I’m going to need some advice.

TUCKER: Oh, you’re definitely going to be acting. I’ll get it to you, for sure.

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Grooming: Jen Rose.

Tailor: Bridget Savadge.

Photography Assistant: Gui Cha.

Fashion Assistant: Jacob Cole Norton.

Production Assistants: Brooklyn Nevins and Ashlyn O’Connell.

Post-production: One Hundred Berlin and Camerin Stoldt.