Anthony Edwards Shares He Doesn't Drink But Plays Blackjack At The Casino: 'I Go There With 10 To 20K'

Anthony Edwards is heralded as the future face of the NBA, as the 2020 No. 1 overall pick has lived up to his potential on the court and continues attracting fans with his personality. He recently was interviewed by Vanity Fair, to whom he revealed that he stays away from alcohol but loves playing Blackjack on occasion on a budget.

“I go in there with 10 to 20k, and if they take that, I’m gone." 

It's good that Edwards doesn't chase losses but his high-roller games could see him rub shoulders with some high-profile names around the world. Thankfully, Edwards isn't the kind to get starstruck in front of most people.

"I don’t consider nobody to be a big celebrity. If you’re not, like, Barack Obama or a president or somebody up there, I don’t consider you no big-time celebrity.” 

However, the one person Edwards did feel awed to meet was none other than Michael Jordan. Edwards garners comparisons to Jordan quite often and he revealed how their first interaction went as Edwards was working out.

“I was in the gym working out, and we got a call that MJ was gonna pull up,” Edwards says. “I’m like, MJ who? They like, Sh*t, Michael Jordan gonna pull up. I’m like, Bet. He walks in there. That was crazy. I ain’t gonna lie.” (His Airness offered the young star some parting wisdom. “He was just like, ‘In the post, you using your upper body too much. Use more of your butt,’” Edwards recalls.) 

Anthony Edwards is entering his superstar arc, averaging 26.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists on the No. 1 seed of the West. The Timberwolves are looking like a regular-season monster, but their success needs to translate to the playoffs. Edwards is key to that success, as his performances will prove if he is even worthy enough to be considered the modern-day Michael Jordan.

Jordan was also a big fan of playing cards, with an infamous clip of him smiling after a playoff elimination because he was playing cards and beating his teammates.

Kevin Garnett Compared Anthony Edwards To Michael Jordan

Edwards may end up retiring as a Timberwolves legend, with the current greatest player in franchise history being a big fan of him already. Kevin Garnett is the only Timberwolves player to win MVP on the franchise, but Edwards could one day achieve that feat. Right now, Garnett believes Edwards is similar to a rookie Jordan who can't stat-pad because he has quality talent around him.

“He like a young '84 (Michael) Jordan, boy… I'm watching how he coming through the lane. If (Karl-Anthony Towns) wasn't on his team, he would average thirty-something. You hear what I'm saying to you?"

This isn't the first time Edwards has been compared to Jordan, with ESPN's Kendrick Perkins also comparing Edwards to a pre-championship version of Jordan. 

"You know what we’re watching is the 1988-89 version of Michael Jordan, that is what we are seeing out of this young man. Playing both ends of the floor…Jimmy Butler couldn’t pull the things out of KAT that Anthony Edwards is doing. Donovan Mitchell couldn’t pull the tenacity out of Rudy Gobert that Anthony Edwards is doing. Ant-Man we need more!”

Scouts and other former players hold Edwards in a similarly high regard. It's massive pressure to put on a 23-year-old, but it's clear that Ant is ready to deal with all the lofty comparisons. He can't be Jordan unless he proves it on the court and leading the Wolves to title success will make a case for him.