At 22 years of age, Anthony Edwards is the youngest among a veteran-filled Team USA roster participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite his individual prowess on the basketball court over the last four NBA seasons, it would be hard to stand out solely among the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant, the most experienced Olympians on the squad. After spending time with them during training camp and exhibition games, Edwards may have realized this himself.

Two days ago, EssentiallySports’ reporter Grant Afseth had the privilege of interviewing former Georgia Bulldogs head coach Tom Crean. Having served as Anthony Edwards’ coach during his sole year at the University of Georgia, Crean is among the few who can truly speak about his demeanor. When it comes to fitting in, Crean admitted that Edwards is not someone who would be easily intimidated. Nor would he be someone who swoons over being in the company of the most renowned modern NBA legends.

“I think he just fits in very well with them” said Crean in reference to Edwards and the other members of the Team USA roster. “He’s respectful, but he’s never in awe, and I think that’s what you want out of somebody that’s young like that that plays.”

During the conversation, Crean complimented his former student’s ability to learn and develop quickly from first-time situations. This, he believes, makes him a perfect fit for the Olympic roster since he would make use of the lessons learned from the roster’s embarrassment in last year’s FIBA World Cup. Furthermore, having already represented the country on the international level, the Timberwolves star knows what it takes to follow the playing style and fit in with head coach Steve Kerr, and assistant coaches Erik Spoelstra, Tyronn Lue, and Mark Few.

“He took it very, very seriously” said Crean when discussing Edwards working alongside the head coaches. “And I think any time you get an opportunity to go into that environment, even though it wasn’t the actual Olympics, it prepares you for the Olympics because, especially with the coaching staff, it’s not the first time. “You’re used to the way they do things, you’re used to the way they present, you’re used to the way they coach, you’ve got some new players, obviously with some of the better guys, but he’s never been in all of those guys anyway.”

The past few days have seen both LeBron James and Kevin Durant come up to Edwards as potential mentors. This was evident during a practice session two days ago when the 35-year-old Phoenix Suns star was seen giving pointers to the young player. On the other hand, Anthony Edwards is taking any developing doubts straight to the top. In a recent interview with Chris Pine, when discussing his Olympic debut, he admitted, “I was nervous for real, I ain’t gonna lie. I told Bron… I ain’t been nervous in a minute. My first time playing in the Olympics. I definitely was nervous”. Whatever LeBron told his teammate seemed to have worked, as the duo would later decimate Australia by adding a combined 24 points to the score total.

Anthony Edwards may never admit to being in awe of his two counterparts. By working together, however, the trio is proving that Team USA may yet be successful in securing their fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal.

Despite considering himself to be the ‘No. 1 Option’, Anthony Edwards gives Kevin Durant the ‘Alpha’ title

Very few people would deny that Anthony Edwards has a competitive drive. Regarded as the ‘next Michael Jordan’, the 22-year-old placed himself at the forefront of the Minnesota Timberwolves roster early on. This was evident when the team reached the Conference Finals for the first time since 2004. Despite this, the player knows to bow down when playing alongside more experienced players.

In an interview with Chris Pine, Edwards was asked to name the ‘Alpha’ on the Team USA roster. Without any hesitancy, he admitted, “I think Kevin Durant. He better be. That’s who I came to see”. Furthermore, he also admitted that, from their limited interaction, Edwards considers the vibe between him and Durant to be “dope”.

Surprisingly, the remarks came a few hours after Edwards seemed to take the ‘Alpha’ tag for himself. In a discussion about his role with Team USA, he stated, “I’m still the number 1 option. I mean, you might all look at it differently. I don’t look at it differently”. From the looks of it, Edwards may have been quick in changing his mind.