Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Conley speaks on Anthony Edwards, 'Bite Bite' nickname
Mike Conley isn’t a fan of Anthony Edwards’ nickname for him, but he had high praise for the Timberwolves star guard during an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show” on Thursday afternoon.
Eisen asked Conley how good he thinks Edwards can be as he's continued to rise in his still young NBA career.
“I honestly think he can be one of the best players in our league, if not the best player in our league at some point in his career,” Conley said.
Conley joked earlier in the interview that when Edwards misses a shot if he's double or triple teamed that he'll say he should've stepped off a different foot or found a better way to get around defenders.
“Nah, you probably should’ve passed it,” Conley quipped.
But Conley also said that killer instinct Edwards has when the Wolves are down late in games is part of what makes him so special. If Minnesota is in a tight game late, Edwards will put the Wolves on his back — usually to the team's benefit.
Edwards has often been the one leading the charge as the Wolves have jumped out to an NBA-best 16-4 record.
While Conley had high praise for Edwards' skillset, he did express some disdain for the nickname Edwards has given him: "Bite Bite."
Edwards shared his nickname for Conley in a postgame interview after a Nov. 2 win over the Denver Nuggets.
"His nickname Bite Bite, so I call him Bite Bite," Edwards told reporters then.
Conley, however, said he had never heard it before, and that Edwards made it up on the spot after the game.
Eisen asked Conley why Edwards has assigned him the nickname.
“You and I have the same question,” Conley said.
“I’m cool with Unc and OG and all that stuff,” he continued. “Bite Bite feels like I’m talking to my kids.”
Edwards said on Nov. 2 that he gave Conley the nickname because he looks ready to bite something. Conley insisted on Eisen's show that he has no desire to bite anything.
More highlights of Conley on Eisen
- On why players bought into the in-season tournament right away: “It was something fresh, something new, something to push for, fight for early in the season,” Conley said. He also described the tournament like a “playoff atmosphere” and seemed to enjoy the new experience, even if the colorful courts have made it difficult to tell if he's still in bounds.
- On what’s clicking for the Wolves: “Defense. We’ve been trying to make that our identity from Day 1.”
- On former high school and Ohio State teammate Greg Oden, whose NBA career was derailed by injuries: “I think he would’ve adapted really well throughout his career, I think he would still be playing. … He was a team guy, and you don’t find a lot of those bigs who can do all those things.”
