Anthony Edwards makes honest admission about first Olympic exhibition

Apr 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) dribbles against the Phoenix Suns during the first half of game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Edwards plays with as much confidence as any star in the NBA, but that does not mean he is immune to jitters.

Team USA on Wednesday played its first of five exhibition games leading up to the Summer Olympics in Paris. Edwards came off the bench and led all scorers with 13 points in a 86-72 over Canada. The Minnesota Timberwolves star hit a three-pointer at the buzzer in the first half to give Team USA an eight-point lead, and they never trailed after that.

Though the game did not actually count for anything, Edwards told reporters afterward that he experienced some nerves.

“I was nervous for real, I ain’t gonna lie,” Edwards said. “I told (LeBron James) … I ain’t been nervous in a minute. My first time playing in the Olympics. I definitely was nervous.”

Anthony Edwards: "I was nervous for real, I ain’t gonna lie. I told Bron … I ain’t been nervous in a minute. My first time playing in the Olympics. I definitely was nervous."

— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) July 11, 2024

Edwards is only 22, but he has plenty of experience in big games. He has led the Timberwolves to the playoffs each of the last three seasons and played well in most of those contests. The fact that he was nervous for an Olympic tune-up game is a good reminder of how much representing the U.S. in the Olympics means to some of the NBA’s biggest stars.

One thing is for certain — Edwards is confident he can handle the international stage. He made that clear with his bold comment recently about his place on Team USA.