Even though this is his first Olympic team, it appears that no one has told Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards to take a back seat to the rest of the team.
After taking his team to the NBA‘s Western Conference Finals, Edwards’ confidence has only grown.
As a result, he feels like one of the top players on a team featuring the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
‘I’m still the number one option,’ Edwards told reporters in Las Vegas on Sunday.
‘Y’all might look at it differently, but I don’t look at it no different. I just go out there and be myself.
‘Shoot my shots, play defense and they gotta fit in and play around me, that’s how I feel.’
This season was a breakout for Edwards, who turned himself into the Timberwolves’ franchise player and has Minnesota poised for bigger and better things.
He averaged 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists on 46.1 percent shooting from the floor and 35.7 percent from beyond the arc last season.
But he’ll find himself on a team where he isn’t expected to do it all himself.
Just in terms of guards alone, Edwards will compete against superstars like Stephen Curry and Devin Booker. Fellow rising star Tyrese Haliburton will also be on the team, as will NBA champion Jrue Holiday.
The rest of the team includes Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, and Joel Embiid.