Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards. Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Edwards joins legendary duo in exclusive club

By Sai Mohan | Last updated 5/20/24

"He's not waiting for anyone," Mike Conley recently said of Anthony Edwards when asked if his young Timberwolves teammate expects to undergo growing pains like most players of his ilk.

At 22, Edwards is more than ahead of schedule, with some dubbing the star guard a top-five player in the league already. While a lot of players his age have produced similar numbers, Edwards is enjoying an elevated status in the basketball universe for a simple reason: he's impacting winning.

After clinching a berth in his first Western Conference Finals on Sunday, Edwards joined an exclusive club of all-time greats.

The only players age 22 or younger to average 25+ PPG • 5+ RPG • 5+ APG and reach the Conference Finals:

Kobe Bryant (2001)
LeBron James (2007)
Anthony Edwards (2024) pic.twitter.com/GS0Ipz1cUe
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) May 20, 2024

Edwards being in rarefied air with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James could be perceived as symbolic, seeing as those two players preceded the current generation as the torchbearers. Much like those two players, Edwards has already shown the willingness to toil for greatness and do whatever is necessary to win.

On Sunday, for example, Edwards shot 6-of-24 from the field and yet had his fingerprints all over his team's 98-90 win. The young guard made a dagger three with 3:07 left in the fourth, helped his team string together a series of defensive stops down the stretch, dove for loose balls and collected key rebounds.

In between all that, Edwards mic'd up for the TNT broadcast and was heard barking at his teammates on the sidelines and demanding the best out of them. His leadership was on display for the world to see.

Edwards will battle Luka Doncic — another player in the running for the next face of the NBA — for a trip to the NBA Finals. Game 1 of the West Finals tips off Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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