Anthony Edwards found himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons after his comments about Michael Jordan and past NBA players went viral.
Speaking with Lane Florsheim of The Wall Street Journal, Edwards didn’t mince words, saying that nobody from back in the day, other than Jordan, had any real skill.
“I didn’t watch it back in the day so I can’t speak on it. They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had skill back then. [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.”
The comparison of current and former NBA players is a recurring theme. Edwards’ comments fit right into this debate, aligning with the usual argument that today’s players are superior. However, not even his fellow present-day stars are backing him up.
Shortly after NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson took Edwards to task, current Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George joined in, not shying away from voicing his own criticism of the young Minnesota Timberwolves star.
“I thought it was kind of disrespectful to the game,” George said. “I thought it was a very immature comment. Obviously, Anthony Edwards is super talented and is a huge talent going forward. But, just how much the game has grown and how far – you gotta pay dues to those dudes that did it before us.”
