Anthony Edwards has his eyes set on two prizes.
First he wants an NBA championship.
Edwards is one of the most exciting young players in the NBAAP
Then he wants a run at a Super Bowl.
‘Ant-Man’ recently sat down with Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson as part of an as yet unreleased ESPN interview that sees the NFL-NBA pair recreate Randy Moss and Kevin Garnett’s iconic photo from 2000.
During the latest episode of ESPN’s Cover Story, Edwards revealed that if he wins an NBA title with the Timberwolves in the next three to four years, he’ll switch to football and try to make it in the NFL.
“I think it’s easy. Football players can’t go play basketball. I told my buddies, I said, ‘If I win a ring in the next 3-4 years, I’m going to play football,” Edwards told a shocked Jefferson.
“No, you’re not,” Jefferson can be heard saying right as the clip ends.
Edwards is a unique talent in more ways than one, however, if he were to make the cross-sport switch he’d be blazing an entirely new trail.
No NBA player has ever successfully made the crossover to pro football but Ant-Man is seemingly set on being the first.
The former No. 1 overall pick has long been likened to NBA legend Michael Jordan, due to their natural charisma, fierce trash-talking and proclivity for explosive dunks.
Edwards has been vocal in his admiration for MJ before, and if he were to quit basketball in his prime, he’d be following a precedent set by none other than His Airness himself.
Jordan won three consecutive NBA titles between 1991-1993 and was the consensus best basketball player on the planet.
A confident Edwards said he wants to play in the NFL in 3-4 years if he wins an NBA titleX@ESPN
Even a superstar like Jefferson was stunned by Ant-Man’s bold claimX@ESPN
However, citing “physical and mental exhaustion”, a 29-year-old Jordan, at the peak of his powers, abruptly retired before the 1993–94 NBA season to play Minor League Baseball in the Chicago White Sox organization.
MJ cited the recent death of this father as his motivation to give baseball a try (baseball had been his father’s favorite sport), and stated that he had nothing more to prove in basketball after three straight NBA titles.
Jordan played 127 regular-season games for the Birmingham Barons, the White Sox’s Double-A affiliate, in 1994, and batted just .202/.289/.266 while mostly playing outfield.
He returned to the Chicago Bulls in 1995 before rattling off three more NBA championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
Jordan quit the NBA in 1994 to play baseballGetty
Whether Edwards follows a similar career trajectory remains to be seen.
At 23, he’s already a two-time All-Star and the face of a Minnesota franchise that reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2004 last season.
During the summer, the braggadocios guard was also a key member of the Team USA squad that won an Olympic gold medal in Paris.
An NBA world championship still eludes him though, and it seems for the time being he’s set on making that dream a reality.
Edwards’ claim he could make it in the NFL seems bold but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility.
Edwards played youth football for the Atlanta Vikings and became one of the best Pop Warner running backs in the country by age 10, but eventually switched to basketball because he “thought it looked more fun” after watching his brothers play the sport.
In one viral clip a young Ant, who played football at the running back, quarterback, and cornerback positions, can be seen burning past defenders like Christian McCaffrey, passing like Patrick Mahomes, and pulling off a pick-six like many of the league’s best defensive backs.
Edwards is a 6ft 4in, 225lb shooting guard with the kind of explosive speed and strength found amongst many of the NFL’s top receivers — the position he’d likely play if he were to ever make the league.
He’s certainly not short of confidence, and in 2020 he explained that he excelled in a number of different sports from day dot.
“I used to play baseball when I was young. I could have went to the MLB,” he said.
“I’m serious, I’m not even joking. I played pitcher, shortstop, third base, center field. I was fourth-fifth hitter. Straight clean-up.
“Tennis, swimming, lacrosse Whatever you need me to play, I’m going to go do it. If there’s some money on the line, I’m going to go do it.
“Whatever. On the rink. Whatever you need me to do. It don’t matter. Trashcan ball. Whatever you need me to do. Cook food. That’s something to do.
“I bet I’ll be A1 from day 1.”
The odds are certainly stacked against him, but if any NBA player can make the switch to the NFL, it’s Ant-Man.
