Anthony Edwards is entering his seventh season in the NBA, and the aura surrounding the Minnesota Timberwolves superstar is already reaching unprecedented heights. Fans increasingly want the 24-year-old to become the league's next face, drawn to his competitive energy, fearless mentality, and explosive, highlight-reel plays.
However, former NBA champ Brendan Haywood believes Ant-Man's recent viral moment is precisely why the four-time All-Star may never reach that status.
After Ant made headlines with a profane message hyping the T-Wolves up ahead of the 2026-27 season, Haywood argued that the star's language and demeanor could prevent the NBA from promoting him as its leading ambassador. The 7-footer also made it clear that if David Stern were still commissioner, Edwards would have already received a serious talking-to.
Although the Timberwolves have reached the Western Conference Finals twice in the last three seasons, they still haven't cleared the final hurdle to reach the NBA Finals.
This offseason, however, the franchise has made some bold moves, bringing in LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga while parting ways with veterans such as Julius Randle and Naz Reid.
In many ways, those changes signal the T-Wolves' determination to chase a championship right now, despite an increasingly competitive and intimidating Western Conference.
Meanwhile, Ant wasted little time sending a message to the rest of the league. In a short video that spread rapidly across social media, the audacious shooting guard made it clear Minnesota wouldn't be interested in friendly relationships with its opponents this season. He also promised hard fouls and even joked about the skin types of him, Ball, and Jaden McDaniels.
"We don't f–k with y'all. We don't give a f–k about you. Ain't no buddy-buddy s–t going on," the four-time All-Star told the camera. "Like, when y'all see the Timberwolves come in town, y'all n—-s need to know they on bulls–t. We gonna foul the s–t out you."
Related: Baron Davis labels Anthony Edwards as the problem for the Minnesota Timberwolves
For Haywood, the problem is not Ant's ability on the basketball court. Instead, he believes the language and the tone of the viral video make it difficult for the NBA to position Edwards as the league's public face.
Simply put, Haywood argued that a player representing the NBA on its biggest stage must be mindful of his public image. Thus, profanity and comments about skin tone are unnecessary, especially when they can trigger different communities.
"That interview that he just did the other day. With him, LaMelo Ball and the other guys… listen, I don't want to say the ' n ' word, but it was real ' n' word-ish. Ant got the game to be the face of the league, but you can't be out here talking like that, man. He was talking like he was in the middle of a hood barbershop," Haywood said .
"That is why the league is never gonna push Anthony Edwards to be the face of the league because you can't have the face of the league dropping N-Bombs and F-Bombs, talking about dark skin, light skin."
Edwards has averaged 27.3 points per game over the last three seasons and earned two All-NBA selections.
His consistent production, athleticism, and oozing confidence already make him a must-watch TV spectacle. However, if Edwards genuinely wants to establish himself as the "face of the league," he may need to earn it through his performances rather than viral moments.
Becoming an MVP contender and leading Minnesota to the NBA Finals would strengthen his case far more than any preseason declaration.
That said, Ant's confidence and outspoken personality are important parts of his appeal, and they certainly elevate his entertainment value. But being the face of a global league also brings expectations beyond the court, and Haywood wants to remind Edwards of that.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
