Anthony Edwards put Daniel Gafford on a poster but couldn’t lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Dallas Mavericks on May 26.
Edwards threw down a Michael Jordan-like poster dunk over Gafford in the third quarter of the 116-107 defeat. Reaction to the dunk went wild on social media from various angles, and fans chimed in with the Jordan comparisons. The dunk also gave the Wolves a tie and momentum though it didn’t last.
“I hope it did, or at least I tried,” Edwards told reporters afterward regarding the dunk and momentum.
Anthony Edwards posterized dunk in extra slo-mo
Edwards came into the game determined to change the course of the series, which started off 0-2 for the Wolves after back-to-back home losses. He finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and two steals.
“Y’all are going to see it tonight, it’s going to be a lot of shots,” Edwards told reporters during the morning shootaround on May 26. “I’m going to be super aggressive. I haven’t taken more than 16 shots in each game. So I’m going to be ultra aggressive coming out, for sure.”
Edwards’ aggression couldn’t push the Wolves over the edge in Game 3 as the Mavericks held the team scoreless from the field in the final 5:05. The Wolves now face a historically insurmountable hole of 0-3 in the series, which no NBA team has ever rallied from to to win a series.
Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas Weighs in on Anthony Edwards-Michael Jordan Comparison
Former Detroit Pistons great and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas doesn’t buy into the Anthony Edwards-Michael Jordan narrative. Thomas played against Jordan throughout the 1980s and 1990s during the Pistons rivalry with the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.
“They’re excellent athletes in terms of jumping, but in terms of their game — their games aren’t similar to me. Edwards at this age is a far better perimeter shooter, but Jordan had been at the 22, 23 age — he was a far more better driver at getting to the basket,” Thomas said on SiriusXM NBA Radio on May 26.
February 21, 1993: Isiah Thomas with a pair of dimes to Michael Jordan during the NBA All-Star Game.
West 135, East 132 (OT).
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“Now Edwards has been spectacular around the rim when he gets there, but Jordan, you know, his first couple of years, lived in the paint,” Thomas added. “Ewards has a perimeter game that compliments his inside game.”
“And also, I would say Edwards at this age, you know, he will defer to his teammates a lot more and trust his teammates a lot more than Jordan did in his early stages. Now, that’s not a knock on any one of them,” Thomas concluded. “But just because they both jump high, doesn’t mean they’re the same players.”
Anthony Edwards: ‘I Want it to Stop’
Edwards is done with the Jordan comparisons himself.
“I want it to stop,” Edwards said via FOX Sports on May 6. “He’s the greatest of all time. I can’t be compared to him.”
Edwards more recently highlighted a difference he perceives in his game compared to Jordan’s.
“I want people to be like, ‘This Anthony Edwards kid, he’s got his own style. He’s maybe got a mix of Michael Jordan in him,'” Edwards told ESPN’s Malika Andrews on May 10. “But I’ve got a trey ball, I can shoot the three. So, I think that makes me a little different than Michael Jordan.”
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Anthony Edwards Reacts to Michael Jordan-Like Poster Dunk vs. Mavericks