Anthony Edwards’ Latest Assault on Daniel Gafford Has Fans Reminiscing Iconic Michael Jordan Moment

It seems like the Anthony Edwards-Michael Jordan comparisons are back in full swing. In a crucial Game 3 of the Western Conference (thriller) Finals, Edwards went up for a Jumpman slam dunk on none other than Daniel Gafford! The Jumpman is one of the most iconic logos of ‘His Airness’. Taken for a Nike photoshoot, it has since been a staple in all his shoes and sneakers.

As for Ant-Man, he’s been regularly compared to MJ for his drive and flashy style of play. Unfortunately, the losses in the last two games put him under a lot of fire and pretty much got him off the Jordan wagon. Unsurprisingly, the moment ANT stepped up his game in Game 3, so did the Jordan comparisons. This one fan posted Ant’s dunk on Gafford with the caption, “Ant hit the jumpman on him“.

The first time that Michael Jordan did what would later be known as the “Jumpman pose” was for Life Magazine in 1984. The occasion was the ’84 Olympics. In 1985, to introduce its partnership with Michael Jordan, Nike used the same pose, where the Bulls legend was wearing a pair of Air Jordan 1, to market his sneaker line.

Of course, since then, the pose has been a regular in all of his Nike shoes. However, it was in 1987 that a budding footwear designer, Tinker Hatfield, introduced the idea of using a silhouette of the actual “Jumpman pose” for MJ’s third shoe. Since then, it has been known as the “Jumpman logo,” as well.

The 6x champion himself has made use of the pose when going for dunks in matchups. While it didn’t replicate the exact ballet pose, it was close enough. Much like the one Anthony Edwards attempted. Although the Mavs stole the third win as well, fans on X are quite ecstatic over a more energetic ANT. And, of course, his iconic dunk on Gafford.

Fans go to the extent of calling Anthony Edwards MJ’s son!

Edwards might want the Jordan comparisons to stop. But it doesn’t stop the fans of the sport from making them. Particularly when the 2x All-Star gives them plenty of reason to do that. Take, for example, this individual. He commented, “He just did the jumpman,” with a fire emoji, referring to perhaps, the near-perfect execution of the iconic style. And made popular by who? Michael Jordan. See where we are going with this.

Another fan commented on the ANT poster with, “Jumpman Jr.” He effectively dubbed Anthony Edwards as the next MJ! Unfortunately, this was something the 22-year-old spoke against recently. The Ant-Man said that he didn’t want to be the next Jordan. Rather, he would like to be the first Anthony Edwards. Tough luck, huh?

Yet another fan posted, “JUMPMAN,” followed by a side-eye emoji. Seeing as how that emoticon’s meaning depends on the context, we can safely assume that this user was possibly referring to Anthony’s above-mentioned claims. Although the Minnesota superstar talks about how he doesn’t want to be compared, his subsequent actions end up being Jordan-esque. Therefore, the comparisons keep coming.

Alpha Kabiné, a musician and YouTuber, for his part, brought another iconic comparison. It was none other than the father-son comment. “Anthony Edwards is Michael Jordan son.” Entirely unfounded, it was nothing more than a rumor. But the NBA legend’s similar facial features, playing style, and on-court statistics naturally to the rising TWolves superstar had kept the comparison going.

Nevertheless, Anthony Edwards’ life is well-documented. So there is no doubt as to his family tree. If it makes the MJ fans feel any better, the former Bulls forward, Jimmy Butler, was once crowned as Jordan’s son.

Anyway, it has become quite clear that ANT is not beating the MJ comparisons anytime soon. The Wolves have one more chance to stay afloat. But even then, they wouldn’t get anywhere close to a safe zone. The Mavs already have a three-game lead. And then it would be any man’s game. May the best man (team) win!

Before you go, another matter foremost in our mind is about our beloved Inside the NBA crew. While many are sure they are going to be disbanded, Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, thinks otherwise. To know more about his comments, watch this video.