Anthony Edwards is a superstar. There is no doubt about it at this point of his NBA career.
Five seasons in, the Minnesota Timberwolves guard has established himself as one of the best, most exciting and most impactful players in the league.
Advertisement
But in 2020, the jury remained out. And Steve Kerr wasn’t a believer. At first, at least.
The Golden State Warriors coach was less than impressed with Edwards’ pre-draft workout and delivered a message to Edwards that changed his approach to the game.
Edwards has told the story before. Now both Edwards and Kerr have shared it again ahead of their clash in the Western Conference semifinal as Edwards’ Timberwolves and Kerr’s Golden State Warriors prepare to face off.
The Timberwolves held the No. 1 selection in the 2020 draft in which Edwards, James Wiseman and LaMelo Ball were all considered candidates to go first overall. The Warriors had the No. 2 pick and thus did their due diligence on the top prospects, Edwards included.
Advertisement
During a pre-draft workout, Kerr told Edwards that the Warriors wouldn’t select him if they had the No. 1 pick. Let Edwards tell the story:
‘That’s all you’ve got?’
“Before he came, I thought I was like, working hard,” Edwards said of Kerr during a news conference ahead of Game 1. “And, like, when he came, I was going through the drills. And he kept stopping them, like “that’s all you’ve got, that’s all you’ve got?’
“I’m like, bruh, ‘I’m going hard as you want me to go. What you want me to do.’ I’m sweating crazy. He’s like, ‘you’ve got to see Steph and KD and Klay work out.”
Advertisement
That wasn’t the end of Kerr’s and and Edwards pre-draft interaction.
‘We wouldn’t take you’
Edwards said that he went out to dinner that night with a Warriors contingent that included Kerr and then-general manager Bob Myers. There, Edwards said that Warriors brass told him that they wouldn’t draft him if they had the first overall pick.
“They still was continuously telling me that ‘you didn’t work hard enough. If we had the No. 1 pick, we wouldn’t take you.”
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 01: Head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors and Anthony Edwards #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves interact after the game at Target Center on February 01, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Warriors 119-114 in overtime. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
(David Berding via Getty Images)
But there were no hard feelings. Edwards, instead, let Kerr’s and Myers’ words serve as motivation.
Advertisement
“Me and my trainer are driving home after dinner, and we’re just talking like ‘we’ve got to pick it up. I don’t know how. I don’t know what we’ve got to do. But we’ve got to pick it up.
“After that, man, I became a mad man in the gym. I try to work til I’m tired, I’m exhausted.”
Kerr’s side of the story
Kerr was asked about the interaction and recalled his version of the story on Monday during a virtual news conference from his hotel room.
“It’s a funny story,” Kerr said. “I didn’t think much of it at the time. I didn’t think I was doing anything special. … I think it was [Warriors owner] Joe Lacob, Bob Myers and me. And then Ant goes out to work out with his trainer. We’re the only five people in the gym.
Advertisement
“After 15 minutes of just watching him lazily shoot 15 footers, I thought, when’s the workout gonna start? And it turns out that was the workout. And I just went down there and I said ‘hey, can we see something more?’ And I think they were kind of surprised.”
Kerr then recalled what happened at dinner that night.
“And then we had dinner that night,” Kerr continued. “Bob and I both talked about Steph and Kevin Durant and Klay and how hard they work, what it takes to be great. He was genuinely captivated by it, hearing stories about those guys.”
Kerr went on to say that a workout with Edwards two weeks later was “way better.”
Advertisement
“At that point, we were sure,” Kerr said of the second workout with Edwards. “You could see he was just exploding with talent and charisma.”
Alas, the Timberwolves took Edwards No. 1 overall, and the Warriors never had a shot at him. Kerr has since coached Edwards in the Paris Olympics and speaks glowingly about Edwards as a person and as a basketball player. No h’ell have to game-plan against Edwards as Golden State looks to advance to the Western Conference finals.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Is Brendan Rodgers the Astros’ answer at second base after Jose Altuve?
MILWAUKEE — Moving Jose Altuve to left field meant a new reality for the Houston Astros. Second base in Houston hasn’t been in question since Altuve started there on July 20, 2011, as a pint-sized prospect on the precipice of prominence.Age came for Altuve. So did the sport’s restrictions on shifting, eliminating Houston’s ability to hide his deteriorating range. His selfless acceptance of a position change this winter delivered a dilemma for the first time in more than a decade.AdvertisementThirty-five games in, the Astros do not appear close to a permanent solution. The failed offseason pursuit of free-agent Jorge Polanco precipitated a time-share between Brendan Rodgers and Mauricio Dubón that has produced pedestrian results, prompting wonder if an approaching deadline could lead to a shakeup.Before he made Houston’s roster, Rodgers signed an advanced consent clause, which allows the Astros to […]
Is Brendan Rodgers the Astros’ answer at second base after Jose Altuve?
MILWAUKEE — Moving Jose Altuve to left field meant a new reality for the Houston Astros. Second base in Houston hasn’t been in question since Altuve started there on July 20, 2011, as a pint-sized prospect on the precipice of prominence.Age came for Altuve. So did the sport’s restrictions on shifting, eliminating Houston’s ability to hide his deteriorating range. His selfless acceptance of a position change this winter delivered a dilemma for the first time in more than a decade.AdvertisementThirty-five games in, the Astros do not appear close to a permanent solution. The failed offseason pursuit of free-agent Jorge Polanco precipitated a time-share between Brendan Rodgers and Mauricio Dubón that has produced pedestrian results, prompting wonder if an approaching deadline could lead to a shakeup.Before he made Houston’s roster, Rodgers signed an advanced consent clause, which allows the Astros to […]
Steph Curry leaves Game 1 vs. Timberwolves with hamstring strain
MINNEAPOLIS — Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry left the first half of Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a left hamstring strain. He asked out and went straight to the locker room during a timeout. General manager Mike Dunleavy checked on him and the team quickly ruled him out for the night.AdvertisementCurry and the Warriors were in control when he went down, up 30-20 after the third of Draymond Green’s four first half 3s. They maintained a great defensive effort and a double-digit lead in the first half, holding the Timberwolves to 31 points on 0-of-15 shooting from 3. Golden State was up 44-31 at the break.But Curry’s hamstring injury looms large over the early portion of this series and ups the pressure on the Warriors to find a way to close out a Game 1 road win, […]
NBA playoffs: Tyrese Haliburton says he will ‘gladly’ take fine after reviving Sam Cassell’s big-balls celebration
Tyrese Haliburton can expect a letter from the NBA after perhaps the biggest shot of his life, and he is perfectly fine with that.The Indiana Pacers guard stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers and the rest of the league on Tuesday with a four-point possession that culminated in a 3-pointer to give the Indiana Pacers the lead. The Pacers now lead 2-0 in their Eastern Conference semifinals series, which is headed to Indianapolis on Friday.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementYou will notice in the video above that Haliburton moves off-frame for a few moments, as the Cavaliers collect themselves for one last desperation shot. Subsequent replay showed Haliburton to be enjoying himself, Sam Cassell-style.Few celebrations are as well-known as Cassell's infamous big-balls dance, which itself originates from the movie "Major League II." Of course, the celebration isn't exactly family-friendly, and the NBA has an established history of […]
NBA playoffs: Tyrese Haliburton says he will ‘gladly’ take fine after reviving Sam Cassell’s big-balls celebration
Tyrese Haliburton can expect a letter from the NBA after perhaps the biggest shot of his life, and he is perfectly fine with that.The Indiana Pacers guard stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers and the rest of the league on Tuesday with a four-point possession that culminated in a 3-pointer to give the Indiana Pacers the lead. The Pacers now lead 2-0 in their Eastern Conference semifinals series, which is headed to Indianapolis on Friday.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementYou will notice in the video above that Haliburton moves off-frame for a few moments, as the Cavaliers collect themselves for one last desperation shot. Subsequent replay showed Haliburton to be enjoying himself, Sam Cassell-style.Few celebrations are as well-known as Cassell's infamous big-balls dance, which itself originates from the movie "Major League II." Of course, the celebration isn't exactly family-friendly, and the NBA has an established history of […]
Steph Curry leaves Warriors’ series opener vs. Timberwolves with hamstring injury
<!--> Golden State star Stephen Curry exited in the second quarter of the second-round series opener at Minnesota with a strained left hamstring, and the Warriors said he would not return to the game on Tuesday night.Curry grabbed at the back of his left leg after hitting a floater and immediately headed to the locker room, after scoring 13 points in 13 minutes on 5-for-9 shooting. The 37-year-old Curry helped Golden State beat Houston in Game 7 of their first-round series two nights earlier.-->The four-time NBA champion and 11-time All-Star averaged 24 points per game against the Rockets in the first round for the sixth-seeded Warriors.ADVERTISEMENT <!-->Reporting by The Associated Press.Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! --> recommended […]
Related
Is Brendan Rodgers the Astros’ answer at second base after Jose Altuve?
MILWAUKEE — Moving Jose Altuve to left field meant a new reality for the Houston Astros. Second base in Houston hasn’t been in question since Altuve started there on July 20, 2011, as a pint-sized prospect on the precipice of prominence.Age came for Altuve. So did the sport’s restrictions on shifting, eliminating Houston’s ability to hide his deteriorating range. His selfless acceptance of a position change this winter delivered a dilemma for the first time in more than a decade.AdvertisementThirty-five games in, the Astros do not appear close to a permanent solution. The failed offseason pursuit of free-agent Jorge Polanco precipitated a time-share between Brendan Rodgers and Mauricio Dubón that has produced pedestrian results, prompting wonder if an approaching deadline could lead to a shakeup.Before he made Houston’s roster, Rodgers signed an advanced consent clause, which allows the Astros to […]
Is Brendan Rodgers the Astros’ answer at second base after Jose Altuve?
MILWAUKEE — Moving Jose Altuve to left field meant a new reality for the Houston Astros. Second base in Houston hasn’t been in question since Altuve started there on July 20, 2011, as a pint-sized prospect on the precipice of prominence.Age came for Altuve. So did the sport’s restrictions on shifting, eliminating Houston’s ability to hide his deteriorating range. His selfless acceptance of a position change this winter delivered a dilemma for the first time in more than a decade.AdvertisementThirty-five games in, the Astros do not appear close to a permanent solution. The failed offseason pursuit of free-agent Jorge Polanco precipitated a time-share between Brendan Rodgers and Mauricio Dubón that has produced pedestrian results, prompting wonder if an approaching deadline could lead to a shakeup.Before he made Houston’s roster, Rodgers signed an advanced consent clause, which allows the Astros to […]
Steph Curry leaves Game 1 vs. Timberwolves with hamstring strain
MINNEAPOLIS — Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry left the first half of Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a left hamstring strain. He asked out and went straight to the locker room during a timeout. General manager Mike Dunleavy checked on him and the team quickly ruled him out for the night.AdvertisementCurry and the Warriors were in control when he went down, up 30-20 after the third of Draymond Green’s four first half 3s. They maintained a great defensive effort and a double-digit lead in the first half, holding the Timberwolves to 31 points on 0-of-15 shooting from 3. Golden State was up 44-31 at the break.But Curry’s hamstring injury looms large over the early portion of this series and ups the pressure on the Warriors to find a way to close out a Game 1 road win, […]
NBA playoffs: Tyrese Haliburton says he will ‘gladly’ take fine after reviving Sam Cassell’s big-balls celebration
Tyrese Haliburton can expect a letter from the NBA after perhaps the biggest shot of his life, and he is perfectly fine with that.The Indiana Pacers guard stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers and the rest of the league on Tuesday with a four-point possession that culminated in a 3-pointer to give the Indiana Pacers the lead. The Pacers now lead 2-0 in their Eastern Conference semifinals series, which is headed to Indianapolis on Friday.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementYou will notice in the video above that Haliburton moves off-frame for a few moments, as the Cavaliers collect themselves for one last desperation shot. Subsequent replay showed Haliburton to be enjoying himself, Sam Cassell-style.Few celebrations are as well-known as Cassell's infamous big-balls dance, which itself originates from the movie "Major League II." Of course, the celebration isn't exactly family-friendly, and the NBA has an established history of […]
NBA playoffs: Tyrese Haliburton says he will ‘gladly’ take fine after reviving Sam Cassell’s big-balls celebration
Tyrese Haliburton can expect a letter from the NBA after perhaps the biggest shot of his life, and he is perfectly fine with that.The Indiana Pacers guard stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers and the rest of the league on Tuesday with a four-point possession that culminated in a 3-pointer to give the Indiana Pacers the lead. The Pacers now lead 2-0 in their Eastern Conference semifinals series, which is headed to Indianapolis on Friday.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementYou will notice in the video above that Haliburton moves off-frame for a few moments, as the Cavaliers collect themselves for one last desperation shot. Subsequent replay showed Haliburton to be enjoying himself, Sam Cassell-style.Few celebrations are as well-known as Cassell's infamous big-balls dance, which itself originates from the movie "Major League II." Of course, the celebration isn't exactly family-friendly, and the NBA has an established history of […]
Steph Curry leaves Warriors’ series opener vs. Timberwolves with hamstring injury
<!--> Golden State star Stephen Curry exited in the second quarter of the second-round series opener at Minnesota with a strained left hamstring, and the Warriors said he would not return to the game on Tuesday night.Curry grabbed at the back of his left leg after hitting a floater and immediately headed to the locker room, after scoring 13 points in 13 minutes on 5-for-9 shooting. The 37-year-old Curry helped Golden State beat Houston in Game 7 of their first-round series two nights earlier.-->The four-time NBA champion and 11-time All-Star averaged 24 points per game against the Rockets in the first round for the sixth-seeded Warriors.ADVERTISEMENT <!-->Reporting by The Associated Press.Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! --> recommended […]
Be the first to leave a comment