Back in 2011, Kendrick Perkins made it clear that Oklahoma City was his number one choice during free agency. “I really want to be here, and this is just a great organization,” he shared when he couldn’t reach an extension with the Celtics, his championship-winning team just two seasons prior. Perkins would go on to build a good connection with OKC, spending five years with the franchise. But despite this strong bond, Perkins reveals he wouldn’t pick the team in a recent scenario — all because of one person: Anthony Edwards.

During a recent appearance on Front Office Sports, Kendrick Perkins was asked which NBA team he would join in his prime, except the Celtics. At first, he answered Oklahoma City. But just as quickly, he flipped his response to the Minnesota Timberwolves, crediting one player: Ant-Man. “I would go with Oklahoma City, no, I would go with the Minnesota Timberwolves, because I got to go play. I would love to go play with Anthony Edwards,” he said. After 5 years in OKC, what made Edwards so irresistible?

Perkins didn’t mince words. He wasn’t asking for heavy minutes. “I just need to be a part of that organization and watch the young man,” he said in the video, comparing Edwards to the young stars he witnessed back in OKC. Perkins had the privilege of watching players like Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook develop before his eyes. But something about Edwards gave him that same spark. According to Perkins, Edwards has that “same type of energy.”

This isn’t the first time Perkins has praised the young star. Back in April, following Minnesota’s playoff victory over the Phoenix Suns, he couldn’t stop raving about Ant-Man’s leadership. Leading his team to a 120-95 win, to eventually make the Conference Semi-Finals in about two decades, Edwards had impressed Perkins, showcasing skills far beyond his years.

In fact, Perkins went so far as to say that Edwards was better than some NBA veterans he had played with. “No disrespect to KD, Russ, or James Harden,” Perkins stated, “but I’ve never seen a young leader like that.” Perkins even predicted that Ant-Man will win next year’s MVP.

Perkins named Ant-Man the MVP

On a recent episode of NBA Today, the panelists debated who could win their first MVP next season, and Kendrick Perkins didn’t hesitate. When host Malika Rose asked about a young player poised for the award, Perkins was quick to name Anthony Edwards. “Anthony Edwards, the guy we’ve been comparing to Michael Jordan,” Perkins said. “The young man that actually took his team to the Western Conference Finals. The young man that knocked off the defending champs out of the postseason. His name’s Anthony Edwards.”

The 23-year-old had led the team against the Denver Nuggets for a 4-3 record and advancement to the Conference Finals for the first time in two decades again. Though they’d lose to the Dallas Mavericks next, 1-4, Perkins believes, Edwards had showed his potential. Add his Olympic performance to that, you have an MVP candidate.

“Based on what I saw last year, especially in the Olympics, Edwards is ready to go after it,” he explained. “He’s not waiting on anyone, and I know he’s determined to win a championship.”

In the Olympics, Edwards averaged 12.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in just 16.3 minutes per game.Last season, Edwards finished seventh in MVP voting, with an impressive stat line of 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. His breakout season earned him a second-team All-NBA spot.

Still, it’s not an easy road to the MVP title.