LeBron James & Team USA Stalwarts Already Made Big Decision on “Little Cocky” Anthony Edwards, Says Draymond Green

Well, fans were a bit worried when it took a couple of heroic performances from the 39-year-old LeBron James to bail Team USA out, ahead of the Paris Olympics. Will no young superstar be able to rise to the occasion? Many wondered. However, Anthony Edwards has silenced all the doubters with his dominant blowout performance at the world event. And Warriors star Draymond Green is very impressed after seeing Ant running the show with LeBron James and Co. taking a backseat to let the next generation shine.

Discussing Ant-Man’s Olympics run so far, the former DPOY credited Team USA’s experienced stars for handing the reins to Edwards, “I think what I love the most is the way Bron, Steph, and KD are embracing him to be that next young guy up, and kind of giving him the keys to the team in a sense.” Sure enough, he has earned those keys by proving his mettle every game.

Despite coming off the bench in all three games, he is currently Team USA’s top scorer with 50 points! Meanwhile, KD is a close second with 48 followed by King James who scored 43 points in the group stages. But there is a key reason why Ant-Man has likely gained the trust of his teammates as Draymond Green says, “running the show”. His oozing confidence!

Even before the Olympics began, he claimed that he would be ‘the man’ on this team, “I’m still the number one option. Y’all might look at it differently… I just go out there and be myself. Shoot my shots, play defense. They’ve got to fit in to play around me. That’s how I feel,” he said on The Draymond Green Show. Obviously, it was all in good fun, but DG believes Edwards was only “half joking.”

Draymond Green tells the world why Anthony Edwards needs to have an attitude

When Edwards called himself the No. 1 option on Team USA, a part of him likely believed what he was saying because of his rapid rise to superstardom. And Draymond believes that Edwards’ confidence is flirting with a very thin line, “He says it and does it and goes about it in a way where he’s confident as hell and very close to being cocky.”

However, the Warriors veteran also revealed why the slightly in-your-face and edgy attitude is necessary for the young superstar’s success, “If you understand anything about greatness, you gotta be very close to cocky in order to be great at anything.”

Surprisingly enough, Anthony Edwards is not the first player to have that kind of confidence at such a young age. While most people compare him to Michael Jordan, the Bulls legend possessed a similar trait when he was just 28 years old and part of the 1992 Dream Team. During a brief interaction with media veteran Ahmad Rashad ahead of the event, MJ scoffed at his question about who would take the final shot on Team USA if the game was on the line.

“Me! That’s a dumb question. Me.” A confident Michael Jordan responded without hesitation. Remember, The Dream Team had established superstars like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, but that didn’t deter His Airness’ confidence. And Edwards has a similar aura about himself. Draymond said it best, “Having that belief and being a little cocky is actually what separates him.”

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.