“That Brother is Special” Stephen A. Smith recalled back in April how Michael Jordan praised Anthony Edwards! After all, that particular month saw the now 23-year-old being at the height of his NBA career. After establishing a 56-26 record during the regular season, he and Karl-Anthony Towns overpowered the Suns and the defending champions. This would allow the franchise to reach the Conference Finals for the first time since 2004. Any Anthony Edwards-Michael Jordan comparisons that had originated during the regular season only increased in number during the playoffs.

While anyone would consider it a flattery to be placed on the same pedestal as the Chicago Bulls legend, Edwards believes that he is not there yet. A major portion of the second episode of the Netflix Series, ‘Starting 5’, is devoted to discussing the progress of Anthony Edwards during the previous season. Some clips showcasing his on-court prowess would either overlap or be shown on the side alongside throwback clips of His Airness performing the same maneuver.

In his commentator role, Stephen A. Smith would blare out, “When I see Anthony Edwards, I see MJ. Michael Jordan.” When the episode switched to highlight the Timberwolves star’s response to the comparison, he chose to remain humble in his response. “I don’t know why everybody’s comparing me to Michael Jordan,” said Edwards. “I wish it stops cause he’s done so much, and I’ve done so little.”

This is not the first time that Edwards has given out such a response. In an interview with Malika Andrews back in May, the shooting guard responded in the affirmative when asked if he no longer wishes to be referred as ‘the next Michael Jordan’, since no other player could ever fill the shoes of the six-time champion. Instead, the Timberwolves star wants to be known as “The first Anthony Edwards, not the next Michael Jordan.”

Edwards’ belief that he shouldn’t be compared to His Airness since “I’ve done so little” would make sense when looking at the bigger picture. There is a reason why the Chicago Bulls legend is amongst, if not the most memorable figure in the world of basketball. Not only did he lead his franchise to six championships as part of two separate three-peats, but he won the Finals MVP each time, secured the MVP title five times, was named to the All-Star team 14 times, and won countless other accolades that even modern NBA players can only dream of possessing. Aside from the awards, Air Jordan won the hearts of fans everywhere through his athleticism, his basketball IQ, and the ability to solely turn the outcome of the game in his favor.

Anthony Edwards is nowhere close to possessing even a portion of the accolades that Michael Jordan does. However, it is important to note that the player is just 23 years old and currently gearing up for his fifth season. The Bulls legend did not win his first NBA championship until he was 28 years of age. Furthermore, he didn’t even win a playoff series until he was 25, something that Edwards has already managed to do.

Despite not progressing far during his earlier seasons, Jordan was still a dominant figure who competed against forces like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson effortlessly. Edwards continues to hold his ground against veterans like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and even his self-proclaimed idol, Kevin Durant. Furthermore, he does this in a manner that gives many a sense of déjà vu.

“I saw that same fire, that same delivery. You go back and you pair their dunks up, they was finishing in the rim,” said 2008 champion Kevin Garnett, who once made the mistake of trash-talking Jordan and paid the price. “Like, just going and just taking respect.” While Anthony Edwards may himself want to be like the 90s Basketball GOAT, there is one area where he would choose to draw the line.

Anthony Edwards disagrees with the way Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant ‘went at their teammates’

Comparisons between the NBA of today and that of the previous decades have continued to be a major topic of conversation amongst basketball enthusiasts. According to ‘The Charge’, the 90s were more focused on low-scoring games and a higher physical style of gameplay, with the most prominent example of the latter being the Detroit Pistons ‘Bad Boys’. As a result, the players also had to be built up differently by their team leader, which did not always make the latter a favorite amongst the group. Such a type of relationship with his own players is not something Anthony Edwards is looking for.

In a recent discussion with Interview Magazine, when asked “Do you like the way Kobe (Bryant) and (Michael) Jordan went at their teammates?”, Edwards stated, “I can agree to disagree, because in today’s game everybody’s different. You can’t talk to everybody the same. You got to talk to players differently. Certain players can take it. I talk to some of my teammates like, ‘Hey, get your s–t together.’ But some players, you got to go talk to them on the side. You can’t really cuss them out in front of everybody.”

Even in a series like The Last Dance, which focused highly on Michael Jordan’s rise, it was hard to ignore the fact that he often came out as a bully to the rest of his teammates. From punching then-teammate Steve Kerr in the eye to making fun of Scott Burrell, Jordan wasn’t any of his teammates’ friend when the focus was on basketball. With the Mamba Mentality, Kobe Bryant wanted his Lakers teammates to work as hard as him, which created a separate type of impression on him.

At the end of the day, however, everyone wanted to win. So does Anthony Edwards, but the changing times have given him a path that may not need him to be as strict as the greats who came before him.

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