May 26, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA;Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half during game four of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Anthony Edwards Can't Escape Michael Jordan Memes After Game 5 Collapse

Originally posted on Back in the Day NBA on SI
By Jayden Armant | Last updated May 29, 2025 1:42 PM ET

Fans were so eager to pass on the fictitious title of Michael Jordan's son to Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.

That label is now long gone. The Timberwolves were gentlemen swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night after a blowout Game 5 loss, where Edwards scored just 19 points after another brutal first-half display. In the four series losses, he averaged 21.3 points on 41.4 percent shooting. The league's three-point leader this season went 6-of-31 from the arc in these affairs.

“Michael Jordan…in the case of Anthony Edwards…YOU ARE NOT THE FATHER” pic.twitter.com/EiPDci12js
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) May 29, 2025

It's the second consecutive year where Edwards seemingly disappeared in the Western finals. While his personality, play style, and trash talk put him in conversations as the next face of the league, these underperformances are slowly tarnishing him.

Anthony “Face of the NBA” Edwards just led his team to a single digit quarter in the NBA playoffs. pic.twitter.com/eJdgWmh5DF
— WhySoSerious? (@NoLimitsRiq) May 29, 2025

Still, Edwards has time. The premature labels placed on the three-time All-Star have overshadowed the immense success in his early career. He has eliminated stars like LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jokic, and Kevin Durant en route to two consecutive conference finals appearances. He has revived Minnesota since his arrival and has won nearly all these playoff series as an underdog.

Ant is only 23 and he's taken his team to back-to-back Western Conference Finals.

Jordan was 27 when he won his first title and only after losing back-to-back to the Pistons in the ECF.

Things take time. Anthony Edwards is still the franchise and still that dude.

Let TSJ… pic.twitter.com/QFvtugI45s
— Purple FTW! Podcast (@PurpleForTheWin) May 29, 2025

Edwards recognizes his youth and knows he has time to write his NBA story.

"It's exciting," Edwards said in the postgame interview. "I don't know why people would think it would hurt. It's exciting for me, I'm 23. I get to do it a whole bunch of times. I'm hurt for Mike [Conley], I came up short for him. We tried last year and couldn't get it, then we tried again this year, and we're gonna try again next year."

This article first appeared on Back in the Day NBA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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