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Former President Barack Obama is a big fan of Anthony Edwards

Obama likes the energy and attitude Edwards brings to the court.
Will Ragatz|
Jun 2, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Former President Barack Obama talks with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and TV personality Ahmad Rashad before game two of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.
Jun 2, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Former President Barack Obama talks with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and TV personality Ahmad Rashad before game two of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Timberwolves

Former President Barack Obama is a fan of Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, he said in a recent interview on The Young Man and The Three podcast with Tommy Alter and Tyrese Haliburton. He was discussing which young players he enjoys watching, and he mentioned Ant as well as Victor Wembanyama and Ja Morant.

"Anthony Edwards, I enjoy," Obama said. "Because he's just got a charisma on the court and you can just tell he's just having fun out there. He likes the smack talking and the challenge. He's so young that he hasn't figured it out to that next level. A guy like Luka (Doncic), who's been playing pro ball since he was 15, he's seeing the court in a different kind of way than Anthony Edwards is, but over the next few years, what he's going to be doing..."

Obama has always been a big basketball fan, so he knows what he's talking about. Both of his points — about the energy Ant brings to the court and the room for growth in his game as he matures — are spot on.

Edwards took a leap last year in his fourth NBA season, finishing seventh in MVP voting as he averaged roughly 26/5/5 on a 56-win regular season team and then led the Wolves to the Western Conference Finals. Now 23 years old, he's looking to continue ascending this season on a team that shook up its core by trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks a little less than a month ago.

The superstardom has arrived for Edwards, who played on Team USA in Paris this summer, is one of the stars of Netflix's Starting Five show, and seems to generate viral moments on social media wherever he goes, thanks to his authentic and charismatic personality. The next question is if Ant can take another step with things like leadership, shooting efficiency, and playmaking in year five.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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