Although Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards has played only five seasons in the NBA, his explosive game and the entire package of his persona have had fans and pundits comparing him to the man considered the greatest hooper of all time, Michael Jordan .
With the start of the 2025-26 season looming, Edwards is now poised to elevate both his performance and that of the Wolves , armed with invaluable advice from the legendary Jordan himself.
Last season, Ant posted a career-high 27.6 points per game, earning All-Star and All-NBA Team honors on top of finishing seventh in the Most Valuable Player race. However, he struggled in the Western Conference Finals against the eventual champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder , averaging just 23.0 points. Worse of all, Edwards' once-prolific three-point shot seemingly abandoned him at the most inopportune time, as he shot a dismal 28.2 percent in that series.
With the new season beckoning, Edwards revealed during the team's media day that he intends to get to his sweet spots on the court more to cash in on shots he can consistently make, instead of settling for long threes (he attempted a whopping 10.3 threes per game last season). For that, Ant admitted getting advice from His Airness, considered one of the very best at picking and choosing the spots where he could do the most damage.
"[He helped me with] getting to my spots, pulling up, shooting over the defender," Edwards shared .
Standing 6'4" and weighing 225 pounds, Ant has the necessary physique to dominate in the shaded lane, which he has done via his relentless aerial attacks at the rim, wherein he typically finishes with a flourish.
However, this offseason, Edwards has worked on refining his game in the low post and figures to use the vital information he got from Jordan to deal more damage from that area of the court.
"I think the best tip that he gave me is that most people lean on people in the post with their [butt], and he does it with the top part of his back," Edwards said, revealing the tip he got from MJ via a mutual friend. "So I think I learned that from him."
ESPN's Shams Charania first reported Ant's focus on sharpening his post-up game, which he diligently worked on by watching footage of MJ and the late, great Kobe Bryant , another wingman who excelled at the block.
"The mid post, the high post, low post, establishing a midrange game and the fadeaway shot from the post, ala Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. I'm told he's been watching a lot of tape of Kobe and MJ," Charania said .
As much of a role as Edwards will play in leading the Wolves past the West finals, where they have faltered in the last two seasons, he also recognized that he will not be able to do this by himself. Instead, it will take a collective effort, which starts with the chemistry they develop long before the season tips off.
"I think winning starts with being together and it starts in the summertime," Edwards relayed. "We've got to be together. We've got to be a team. We can't wait until the All-Star break to try and become a team. We've got to do it now."
Ant added that with the West shaping up to be a competitive conference, they cannot focus their attention solely on the Thunder. Instead, they must work on gradually improving their chemistry and game until the postseason comes around.
"I don't think it's just the Thunder," Edwards stressed. "I think it's a whole bunch of teams that got better this summer. I think the Nuggets are going to be really damn good. Give [Nikola Jokic] a couple of shooters, man? They're going to be hard to beat, so I think we've got to focus on more than just the Thunder."
MJ has lived mostly out of the public eye since retiring from the game a few decades ago. He also isn't one to mentor players. However, Jordan sharing advice with Edwards speaks to his belief in the young man's potential to become the game's biggest superstar.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
