Even current players are piling on Anthony Edwards over some of his recent comments.
Last month, the Minnesota Timberwolves guard drew the ire of several old heads after he claimed that players not named Michael Jordan who played before the 1990s didn’t have “skill.”
Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas took exception to the claim. 5-time NBA champion Magic Johnson had the also had a savage response to Edwards’ comments. Johnson and Thomas combined to win 7 of the 11 NBA championships from 1980 to 1990.
New Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George recently weighed in on the controversy. The 9-time All-Star called out Edwards on Monday’s episode of his “Podcast P with Paul George” show.
“I thought it was kind of disrespectful to the game,” said George. “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 … you’ve got to pay dues to those dudes that came before us.”
“I thought it was kind of disrespectful to the game. I thought it was a very immature comment… How much the game has grown… You gotta pay dues to those dudes that did it before us.”
Paul George on Anthony Edwards' comment about Jordan's era 😳pic.twitter.com/qSYob6rgZd
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 2, 2024
There’s no denying the influx of talent that the NBA has seen over the past decade. Edwards is one of the prime examples of what a modern-day superstar looks like. But athletes have traditionally paid homage to the players who came before them. What Edwards said was in direct contrast to how most athletes usually talk about past eras.
It’s no surprise that even one of Edwards’ biggest mentors wasn’t happy with the young Timberwolves star’s claim.
