Analyzing Stephen A. Smith's Anthony Edwards comp to MJ, Kobe, Vince
Anthony Edwards has been on a meteoric rise with several proclaiming him to be the next coming of Michael Jordan. The latest to put Ant and MJ in the same sentence is ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.
"Listen to what I'm saying to you on national television," Smith said Friday morning on ESPN's First Take. "Right now when I see Anthony Edwards, I see in the making, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan. You know how I hate cold weather. I'll fly to Minnesota to see that brother. He is box office. Anthony Edwards, you hear what I'm saying to y'all, he is special."
Let's do some comparisons between Edwards and those legends. Specifically, let's compare how each performed in their fourth season in the NBA.
(All stats on a per game number)
| Name | Games played | Minutes played | Field Goal % | 3-Point % | Free Throw Attempts | Free Throw % | Total Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Turnovers | Personal Fouls | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anthony Edwards | 38 | 34.7 | .465 | .380 | 6.6 | .848 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 1.3 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 26.1 |
Michael Jordan | 82 | 40.4 | .535 | .132 | 10.5 | .841 | 5.5 | 5.9 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 35.0 |
Kobe Bryant | 66 | 38.2 | .468 | .319 | 6.1 | .821 | 6.3 | 4.9 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 22.5 |
Vince Carter | 60 | 39.8 | .428 | .387 | 5.1 | .798 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 24.7 |
Edwards stacks up fairly well against what each of those players did during the fourth year of their respective careers. Awards-wise, Edwards has a bit to go to catch up to the recognition those legends were already receiving at the four-year mark of their careers.
Awards through 4 NBA seasons
Edwards: 1x All-Star, All-Rookie Team
Jordan: Rookie of the Year, 4x All-Star, 1x All-Star Game MVP, 1x Defensive Player of the Year, 1x MVP, 2x All-NBA 1st Team, 1x All-NBA 2nd Team, All-Rookie Team, 1x All-Defensive 1st Team, 2x scoring champion
Kobe: 1 championship, 2x All-Star, 1x All-NBA 2nd Team, 1x All-NBA 3rd Team, 1x All-Defensive 1st Team
Carter: Rookie of the Year, 3x All-Star, 1x All-Rookie Team, 1x All-NBA 2nd Team, 1x All-NBA 3rd Team
"He ain't there yet, in terms of the names I mentioned, but he is coming and he is box office," Stephen A. Smith continued. "Worthy of walking through the turnstiles to see that brother play. He is a show-stopper. I want the NBA to put the Minnesota Timberwolves on national television even more. Yes. Yes. Yes."
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates his basket against the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter at Target Center in Minneapolis on Nov. 22, 2023.
Brad Rempel / USA TODAY Sports
