“Had A Son, He Sacrificed”: Anthony Edwards Makes Emotional Confession After Confirming Strong Career Stance

Anthony Edwards had an upbringing that was far from normal. The Minnesota Timberwolves star lost both his mother and grandmother within eight months when he was in 8 grade. His father was largely absent from his life, and his elder sister raised him and his two brothers for a significant amount of time. Despite this, the 23-year-old stands today as a renowned self-made individual, having found success in basketball only set to go up within the decade. This was thanks to the fact that even during a tumultuous childhood, Edwards received some much-needed support from others who were willing to make sacrifices. It is a fact that the player has not chosen to forget even today.

In the aftermath of the Timberwolves’ 120-106 win against the Washington Wizards, Anthony Edwards participated in a Q&A session. During the same, he revealed taking a long career stance, highlighting that he won’t allow himself to get any more technical fouls. Even as a reporter highlighted that he accumulated a few of them in the previous season, Edwards added, “I won’t get no more techs. I won’t get no more techs”.

A reporter then highlighted that several young people who came to watch the game at the Capitol One Arena would have been basketball aspirants. When asked if there was a message that Edwards wanted to pass on to them, the player stated that one shouldn’t put all their eggs in one basket. After all, he focused on several sports before finding his calling in basketball. However, once he finds his calling, he reveals that it is important to lock in. Fortunately, Edwards had some help in that regard from his then-trainer, and now manager, Justin Holland. Holland even took extra steps to lock himself in to ensure that his trainee also did so.

“So, if you’re one of the young guys and you want to make it in basketball, when you decide you want to lock in and put the work in, you got to find somebody that’s willing and got the time, and family is willing to sacrifice their time,” said Edwards. “Cuz Justin (Holland), his wife sacrificed their time together. He had a son, he sacrificed his time. So, like, you got to find somebody that really loves you for who you are, and then love the game. That’s willing to put it together and then it’ll come out it’ll be well but you got to be willing to work, cuz Justin made sure I was willing to work every night. So I think that’s the thing, you got to have somebody that’s willing to push you.”

This is not the first time that Anthony Edwards has spoken about Justin Holland’s impact on his life. The trainer took a bet on the basketball player, and it paid off. However, Holland himself may not have done it if he wasn’t motivated to take a young Edwards under his wing.

As highlighted in a February 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, Holland was earlier training aspiring college basketball players in Atlanta. It was at that point when a friend informed him about Edwards. The player’s ‘Ant-Man’ nickname had already garnered a reputation in his local community as a youth football phenom. When Edwards finally took a basketball in his hand, Holland took it upon himself to build the athlete. This involved having exhausting and humbling training sessions. Held at least six to seven days a week in the gym. Within two years of training, Holland even told people that Edwards “might be LeBron-special.”

The time and energy spent on training Anthony Edwards may have caused Justin Holland to spend time away from home. Such a claim isn’t something that the trainer/manager himself confirmed over the years. However, Anthony Edwards’ recent remarks may have indicated that. Any extra time that Holland could have spent with his wife and son was gone into ensuring that the NBA was getting its next big phenom.

As highlighted by ‘The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, Holland and Edwards’ friend Tre McCain would sit in the parking lot for hours while Edwards worked out. Holland would shake his head whenever his wife called him, asking him when he would be home. Therefore, when Anthony Edwards was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick, Holland would have been proud.

Years later, Justin Holland continues to support Anthony Edwards. From handling his businesses to being there by his side during his baby’s birth, the trainer-turned-manager’s physical presence has benefited the NBA star immensely. Holland has even taken it upon himself to defend the star when his stances draw backlash.

Justin Holland defended Anthony Edwards amidst his ‘Jordan Era’ claim: “You’re going to have the microscope on you”

Back in August, Anthony Edwards reportedly stated that Michael Jordan was the only player “that really had skill”. That is, among the previous generations’ players. In an interview with Lane Florsheim of the Wall Street Journal, Edwards explicitly stated, “[Michael Jordan] was the only one that really had skill, you know what I mean? So that’s why when they saw Kobe [Bryant], they were like, ‘Oh, my God.’ But now everybody has skill.” Before long, the Timberwolves star ended up drawing criticism from NBA legends like Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas. This claim came after Edwards called himself “the No. 1 option” on the Team USA squad. Therefore, the timing of it would have raised questions about Edwards’ thinking process. However, Justin Holland was there to come out in defense of his one-time trainee.

Holland did not choose to agree with Anthony Edwards’ viewpoint. Instead, he simply said, “He’s not making any more mistakes than most kids his age. But when you are the No. 1 pick, you’re going to have the microscope on you more than others. That comes with responsibility.” Very few people are destined to have a ‘Ride-or-Die’ type companion in their life. From everything that we have gotten to know about Justin Holland, he certainly seems to be the kind of individual who influences Anthony Edwards’ life.