30 American athletes to watch at the 2024 Paris Olympics
By Nick Villano
7. Anthony Edwards
Basketball
LeBron James. Joel Embiid. Devin Booker. Kevin Durant. Steph Curry. Reigning NBA Champion Jayson Tatum. There are so many stars on this Team USA basketball team. However, the one that’s the most intriguing is Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards. Coming into this NBA season, it wasn’t a lock he would even start on Team USA. Now, he’s probably their key to winning it all.
Of course, the Americans have stars for days, as is proof when Kawhi Leonard randomly left the roster, and it was quite alright, but Edwards showed this past year that he can take over games when his team needs him. There’s a lot of age on this team, so they will look at the young stars to take over when the pace is driven higher.
Many opponents will look at a fast pace, similar to European basketball, to throw the U.S.A. off its game. That is where Edwards will thrive. He’s not short of confidence, calling himself the “No. 1 option” for Team USA. He’s already shown that could be the case. Against Canada in an exhibition, Edwards scored 13 points coming off the bench.
We don’t foresee Edwards seeing much of the bench once the games count. He’s as dynamic and talented as any player in the world, and his impact will be felt more than anyone on this roster. There are four NBA MVPs on this roster, and none compare to what Edwards can do.