"I’ll call the Uber" - Anthony Edwards ignored the team bus to mentor rookie Joan Beringer
Anthony Edwards has taken rookie Joan Beringer under his wing, and it looks like their mentor-mentee relationship is quickly growing beyond surface-level guidance. In fact, the Minnesota Timberwolves superstar voluntarily stayed behind in the gym, playing one-on-one with the French youngster after practice, even though the team bus was ready to leave.
"I'll call the Uber. I'm good," Edwards told a man in the background telling him to "go home" already.
It is a breath of fresh air for Edwards to be this engaged as a mentor for the Wolves' first-round pick in 2025. The 6'11" Beringer appeared in only half of the team's last 10 games for about four or five minutes of action. Still, the recent All-Star Game MVP showed he is willing to invest extra time to help a young teammate out.
Why Edwards took the rookie under his guidance
There were no added details where this happened, but it was probably during the recent road trip to Portland or L.A. because of the bus thing. Regardless, it seems like the two have been doing these extra sessions for a while now. Back in January, Beringer even claimed he could stop Edwards "two out of three times" in four one-on-one matchup situations.
Of course, Ant denied the rookie's claim, but it gives us a peek into how their relationship was. There is a healthy mix of friendly competition and teaching happening between them. Edwards seems happy to push Beringer while he continues to sharpen his game. According to AE, Joan is a hard worker, and that's all he needs to see to grant his request to play 1-on-1.
"When I messed my foot up, he came up to me and said, 'Hey, when you're healthy, I will play you one-on-one after practice,' like he's gonna start it as his routine," Edwards said , per independent team inside Dane Moore. "I been ducking and dodging him for weeks, but I had to pay him his rent money yesterday."
"I can't speak for all rookies, but Joan is a worker, man. I haven't seen too many rookies like him. He always is willing to work. And I think all rookies should be willing to work before they want to just get in the game and showcase they talent. They gotta put in the work first. And he's a big product of that. He loves to work," added Edwards.
As Ant mentioned, the extra work after practice has become the norm for both of them. Edwards clearly enjoyed the challenge as he considers one-on-ones' the best way to practice making tough shots,' like the one he drilled over the Los Angeles Clippers to seal the deal.
Ant is paying it forward
As great as Edwards already is, he wouldn't have reached superstar status without the other vets taking him under their wings. For one, Ant considers Ricky Rubio crucial to his development. Rubio showed Edwards the ropes as a rookie and demonstrated what a leader should be like.
"He leads by example and communication," Edwards said of Rubio, now playing for Juventut Barcelona. "Some leaders, they're going to lead by example. Some of them lead by talking, but Ricky, he does both. He does it pretty good, if you ask me. I mean, I'm taking bits and pieces from Ricky and he keeps telling me stuff that I don't know and he's helping me grow and learn. He's the best leader I've been around all my life."
"When I make a mistake, he's going to talk to me and tell me what I did wrong and how I can fix it. He's always trying to get me involved in the game," he stated.
Just as Ricky took the time to guide Ant as a rookie, Ricky is now paying it forward with Joan. Beringer may not be cracking the Timberwolves' rotation soon, but the type of confidence working out with one of the NBA's best should do him good.
In that sense, Edwards is not just helping his 19-year-old rookie teammate grow. He is keeping the cycle of veteran leadership alive, and hopefully, it will be Beringer's turn in the future to keep the tradition running.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
