When it was first announced that Anthony Edwards would join the Team USA Roster heading to the 2024 Paris Olympics, it provided the perfect redemption arc after the United States’ disappointment at the FIBA World Cup. Now, following the Olympic gold medal, the 22-year-old has decided where his priorities lie.

A report from ‘The Athletic’ by Joe Vardon highlights expectations for the 2028 Olympics, noting that while veterans like LeBron James and Stephen Curry may not return, younger stars like Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton would be more likely to return. The same goes for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar. But does ANT really want to be back?

“Hell nah” , said Edwards.

The two words, no fan would want to hear, come just a few days after he had spoken with reporter Shaun Powell about the 2028 Olympics, and stated “I can’t speak on that. I can only speak on what I got around my neck right now. … This was the most fun I ever had playing basketball.” By reading between the lines, it wouldn’t be too tough for fans to figure out Edwards’s plans for the future.

Team USA finished fourth in the 2023 FIBA World Cup owing to an underwhelming roster. LeBron James, Steph Curry, KD, nobody was present. It was ANT taking charge, averaging 18.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists over eight games. Despite strong performances from Edwards and Austin Reaves, who scored 23 and 21 points respectively in the semifinals against Germany, Team USA lost 113-111.

From the German side, Franz Wagner and Andre Obst, aka the ‘German Steph Curry’ ran parallel with USA’s scoring effort by dropping 22 and 24 points, respectively. When the European team won by 113-111, it was the highest score that any team had made against a USA Basketball roster filled with NBA players. Canada later broke the record in a 127-118 victory during the bronze medal game.

In this year’s Olympics, the pressure was off of Edwards. He had a strong team with veterans he could rely on. As a result, the 12.8 points he averaged was enough boost for Team USA to allow a perfect 6-0-win record.

Since he found success in one area and failure in another, despite putting in his best efforts, it would make sense for the Timberwolves scorer to cut ties with the World Cup series. However, in the player’s own words, he wouldn’t have gained a beneficial perspective if the loss hadn’t come his way.

Anthony Edwards credited his playoff performance to the FIBA World Cup Elimination

The 2023-24 season saw Anthony Edwards reach his high point with the Minnesota Timberwolves. By clearing the first round of the playoffs, he and Karl-Anthony Towns went head-to-head with the Denver Nuggets, the defending champions. The series was taken all the way to Game 7, with Edwards dropping 16 to transfer the Timberwolves to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2004. Even before the conclusion of the Denver Nuggets series, Edwards was quick to point out why his performance was better than last year.

“I put in work this summer,” said the then 22-year-old. “Big shout out to the USA team, it got me ready for this season and I appreciate that”. Along with the lesson that he learned from the loss, Edwards also learned the lesson of playing as a team from the National squad.

He added to his remarks by stating “I think that (Team USA) changed my perspective about everything, being able to play with your team, playing within the game and not just try to play isolation ball all day, playing within a system. And Finchy (Chris Finch) does a great job of making sure I stay within the system.” Anthony Edwards may feel that any other lessons can be learned from the NBA itself. When it comes to the international stage, he may just want to win.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.