Early life <\/p>\n
Edwards was raised by his mother, Chrisha Yvette Edwards, and maternal grandmother, Shirley Edwards. His father, Roger Caruth, was reportedly a gifted basketball player, and he gave Edwards the nickname \u201cAnt Man.\u201d However, Caruth was largely absent from his son\u2019s life. While growing up in Atlanta, Edwards initially was known for his football<\/a> exploits, especially as a running back. By the time he was 11, there was already a YouTube<\/a> video of his Pop Warner<\/a> football highlights. But Edwards gravitated to basketball in middle school. When he was 13 years old, tragedy struck when his mother and grandmother both died from cancer. His elder brother (18) and sister (21) gained custody of Edwards.<\/p>\n Edwards initially attended<\/a> Therrell High School in Atlanta, where he became one of the top players in the country. During this time he adopted a grueling training regime. He later transferred to Holy Spirit<\/a> Prep, and he helped the team win a Georgia state championship in 2018. Although he had offers from powerhouse college basketball programs, Edwards chose to play for the University of Georgia<\/a>, so he could remain near his family. During his first season (2019\u201320), Edwards led all Division I freshman with a 19.1 points-per-game average, and he won SEC<\/a> Freshman of the Year honors. However, he also committed 87 turnovers<\/a> in 32 games and shot just 40 percent from the floor, including a meager 29 percent from three-point range. After the NCAA basketball tournament<\/a> was canceled because of the COVID-19<\/a> pandemic, Edwards announced that he was leaving Georgia for the NBA.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n More From Britannica<\/p>\n 2024 Paris Olympics: Athletes to watch: Anthony Edwards<\/p>\n <\/a> NBA \u201cAnt Man\u201d<\/a>Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves attempting a dunk over Gabe Vincent of the Miami Heat, 2021.(more)<\/p>\n Entering the 2020 NBA draft, Edwards was considered a wild card. However, he was selected as the number one overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves. At the time, ESPN<\/a> noted on its website, \u201cHe has sharp long-range shooting touch, an ability to score off the dribble and a nose for driving to the basket\u2014plenty to overshadow his uneven one-and-done college season.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2020\u201321 Edwards averaged 19.3 points per game and was the youngest NBA player to score 150 three-pointers. He finished second in the Rookie<\/a> of the Year vote to LaMelo Ball. Edwards, who stands 6 feet 4 inches (1.95 meters) tall, continued to improve over the next two seasons, and Minnesota qualified for the playoffs in 2021\u201322 and 2022\u201323. However, the team lost in the first round both times.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has that It factor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014Timberwolves co-owner and former MLB star Alex Rodriguez<\/a>, 2024<\/p>\n Edwards had a breakout season in 2023\u201324. He averaged 25.9 points per game and became the third youngest NBA player to score 6,000 points, behind LeBron James<\/a> and Kevin Durant<\/a>. Minnesota finished the regular season with a record of 56\u201326, and Edwards was seventh in voting for league MVP. He ramped it up in the playoffs, averaging 31 points and 8 rebounds per game in Minnesota\u2019s first-round sweep of the Phoenix Suns<\/a>; he scored 40 points in the final game of that series. In the Western Conference<\/a> semifinals, Edwards averaged nearly 28 points per game, as the Timberwolves defeated the defending champion Denver Nuggets<\/a> in a thrilling seven-game series. After eliminating the Nuggets, the colorful Edwards made news in the postgame interview with TNT commentator Charles Barkley<\/a>. When Barkley told Edwards that he had not been to Minnesota in probably 20 years, Edwards replied, \u201cBring ya ass.\u201d The expression quickly went viral and became a popular slogan in the state.<\/p>\n Acting <\/p>\n Edwards\u2019s skills extended beyond the basketball court. In 2022 he had a part in the Netflix<\/a> movie<\/a> Hustle<\/a>, starring Adam Sandler<\/a> as an NBA scout. Edwards\u2019s character, Kermit Wilts, mercilessly taunts<\/a> the film\u2019s hero, Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernang\u00f3mez). Critics praised Edwards\u2019s performance, and in The New York Times movie review, Amy Nicholson wrote that he \u201cexcels in the riskiest role as a trash-talking villain who deserves to have a sweat sock shoved in his mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Explore](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/interactive-banner-paris-olympic-summer-games-2024.jpg\")
<\/p>\n