A phantom is bursting aggressively through the walls of the NBA. Everyone is talking about the phenomenal Anthony Edwards. A 22-year-old has taken reigns over the Minnesota Timberwolves and has carried them to a 6-0 run to begin with the playoffs 2024. Ant’s feisty competitiveness has garnered a large number to compare him to Michael Jordan. So much so that MLB stalwart Alex Rodriguez hopped on the bandwagon with a debate-sparking remark.

Speaking about the Atlanta-born, the retired Yankees legend dumped loads of praise. From addressing the inevitable Jordan comparisons to claiming he is “undervalued”, A-Rod had a lot to unload off his chest.

Why this comparison though? Jordan too was once young. A raw prospect coming out of UNC with the gift of being a willing learner. That was backed by his incredible work ethic which eventually led to his meteoric rise. Edwards is cut out of the same cloth. His age hardly justifies the maturity he has attained as a 4th-year guard in the NBA.

Edwards enjoys the aspect of fighting it out on the court. He loves the adrenaline rush, the monumental challenges. But that doesn’t compromise his ability to stay grounded and work relentlessly. It served as a gift for the Timberwolves organization, which was desperate to shift gears into a winning culture.

Alex Rodriguez comparing Ant-Man to Michael Jordan might still not help?

Being a part owner of the Timberwolves, it was no surprise that Rodriguez was delighted with Edwards’ surreal progression. When speaking about the bright talent, he sounded awestruck. Reliving the iconic play against the Indiana Pacers, Rodriguez said, “We’re so lucky to have a guy like Anthony Edwards”. 

Digressing into speaking of his mentor, the former owner of the Chicago Bulls Jerry Reinsdorf, A-Rod claimed he was lucky to inherit a player like Michael Jordan. But to his credit, Reinsdorf identified the impending spark Michael Jordan would bring to the Bulls. Eventually, he would renegotiate Jordan’s contract in just the fourth season of his rookie deal which was scheduled for eight years. He was awarded an 8-year $25 million deal back then.

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Now, A-Rod views Edwards from similar specs. A player so good and determined that he can turn around a franchise. However, in contrast, a player of Edwards’ caliber is only making $13 million this season, the final year of his rookie contract.

It doesn’t show the appropriate appreciation for the magnitude of player Anthony Edwards has set himself to be. From his rookie season, his averages have always improved. Additionally, he has regularly beautified his game by adding new tricks up his sleeve. An example is his mid-range expertise. It began with him shooting just 25% in his rookie season to now shooting 35%.

Hence, Edwards could negotiate and sign a $204,450,00 extension with the Wolves which would pay him an average salary of $40 million from next season onwards. But here’s the catch. If the Wolves’ payroll lowers, as reported, that might prove it difficult for the 48-YO to put money where the mouth is. (but we believe he will find ways to keep the talent happy)

What’s the whole legal saga with the Timberwolves?

A-Rod had much to praise the star shooting guard, while also mentioning how he is undervalued. “As good as Anthony Edwards is I think people undervalue him in two ways. Number one, they don’t realize that he is the fastest, strongest, most competitive, highest jumper, he has all of that in spades and I think people do know that. But what I think they underestimate him is how savant he is about learning things so quickly,” said the MLB icon. But this acknowledgement and its resulting actions still hinge on the legal chaos.

These comments come incidentally with his ongoing legal dispute with Glen Taylor to take over the majority ownership of the Wolves. Rodriguez and Lore are both fighting against Taylor to reportedly attain the promised 80% ownership of the Timberwolves after the agreed payments were made. If and when the dust settles, the whole math might or might not benefit the young team leader of the Timberwolves.

And if not exactly the same MJ treatment, he deserves to be near. He has shown staggering improvements as a defensive nightmare. He had the third-best defensive rating amongst all players who played at least 65 games and 30 minutes per game. Ant Man is always refining his game and fine-tuning it to benefit the organization.

While Taylor did award an extension, should it have come sooner like Reinsdorf did with MJ?