Charles Barkley does not think Anthony Edwards is ready for the main spotlight just yet.
On Tuesday, Barkley was on the TNT pregame panel for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. Aside from previewing the New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers game, the “Inside the NBA” crew spoke about the Western Conference Finals airing on ESPN.
Barkley had a message for the “Worldwide Leader” about its supposed push of Edwards as one of the faces of the NBA.
“Hey ESPN, I love you guys. Don’t try to make Anthony Edwards the face of the NBA,” Barkley said.
“The face of the NBA is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, [Nikola Jokic] and Giannis. You can’t give it to people, they have to take it, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is taking it.”
"Hey ESPN, I love you guys. Don't try to make Anthony Edwards the face of the NBA. The face of the NBA is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, [Nikola Jokic] and Giannis. You can't give it to people, they have to take it, and [SGA] is taking it."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 27, 2025
– Charles Barkleypic.twitter.com/GlQLVMjk1B
Gilgeous-Alexander completely outplayed Edwards in Monday’s critical Game 4 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves. SGA dropped 40 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists in the 128-126 Thunder victory. Edwards tallied 16 points and took just 13 shots to Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30.
In all fairness to Edwards, he’s three years younger than his Thunder counterpart and has two fewer years of NBA experience. It took five seasons before Gilgeous-Alexander made his first All-Star team, while Edwards already has three All-Star nods through Year 5 of his NBA career.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP and has a golden opportunity to win his first title this season. SGA, Jokic, and Antetokounmpo all seem ahead of Edwards at present, just like Barkley said. But it may be only a matter of time before Edwards gets on their level.
