Anthony Edwards Bio
Anthony DeVante Edwards (born August 5, 2001), nicknamed “Ant-Man” or simply “Ant,” is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A shooting guard, Edwards played one season of college basketball for the Georgia Bulldogs before being selected with the first overall pick by the Timberwolves in the 2020 NBA draft. He is a four-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA Second Team selection, an NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, and a gold medalist with the 2024 United States Olympic basketball team. Standing 6 feet 4 inches and weighing about 225 pounds, he has quickly become one of the league’s most explosive and recognizable stars.
Early Life and Background
Edwards spent his early life in Oakland City, a neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia, where he grew up alongside his older siblings. When he was three years old, his father gave him the lifelong nickname “Ant-Man.” For much of his childhood, Edwards played youth football, taking snaps as a running back, quarterback, and cornerback. He played for the Atlanta Vikings and became one of the best Pop Warner running backs in the country by the age of 10.
Edwards eventually shifted his focus to basketball after watching his brothers play the sport, often joining them for pickup games at his grandmother’s house. Entering ninth grade, he began formal training with Justin Holland, a former college player at Liberty who had built a reputation as an Atlanta-area basketball trainer. That relationship helped shape Edwards into one of the most highly recruited prospects in the country. His mother, Yvette, and his grandmother, Shirley, both passed away from cancer during an eight-month stretch in 2015, when he was in eighth grade, and he has since worn the number 5 to honor them, as both died on the fifth day of their respective months.
Path to Basketball
Edwards first gained national attention as a standout on the Atlanta Xpress 15-under Amateur Athletic Union team, and by 2016 he was already considered a four-star recruit by Rivals. He began his high school career at Therrell High School in Atlanta before transferring to Holy Spirit Preparatory School in early 2017, where smaller class sizes allowed him to improve his academic standing. After initially reclassifying to the 2020 class, he moved back to the 2019 class in November 2018 and quickly rose to the number one spot in the 247Sports Top247 rankings.
In his senior season, Edwards averaged 29 points, nine rebounds, and two assists per game for Holy Spirit Prep, earning USA Today All-USA first team honors and a selection to the McDonald’s All-American Game. Rated a consensus five-star recruit and the top shooting guard in the 2019 class by 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals, he committed to the University of Georgia in February 2019, becoming the highest-rated recruit in program history. He chose the Bulldogs over offers from Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina, drawn in part by head coach Tom Crean’s track record of developing guards.
Anthony Edwards Career
Early Career (2019–2020)
Edwards made an immediate impact at Georgia, debuting with 24 points, nine rebounds, and four steals in a 91–72 win over Western Carolina on November 5, 2019. The performance was the most by a Georgia freshman in a debut since Basketball Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins in 1979. He later scored 37 points against third-ranked Michigan State at the Maui Invitational, becoming the first Georgia freshman with a 37-point game since Jacky Dorsey in 1975.
As a freshman, Edwards averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, leading the Bulldogs in scoring and ranking among the top freshmen nationally. He earned second-team All-SEC and SEC Freshman of the Year honors, was a finalist for the Jerry West Award, and was named SEC Freshman of the Week a record four times. On March 20, 2020, he declared for the 2020 NBA draft and signed with an agent, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.
Minnesota Timberwolves Rookie Years (2020–2022)
The 2020 NBA draft was delayed by five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in November 2020 the Timberwolves selected Edwards with the first overall pick. He debuted on December 23, 2020, recording 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists in 25 minutes during a 111–101 win over the Detroit Pistons. By March 2021, he had scored a then career-high 42 points against the Phoenix Suns, becoming the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach the 40-point mark. He finished the season as runner-up for Rookie of the Year and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
His second season saw his scoring leap forward. On November 10, 2021, Edwards erupted for 48 points against the Golden State Warriors, and on December 15 of that year he buried a franchise-record 10 three-pointers against the Denver Nuggets, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to hit 10 threes in a single game. He later produced a 49-point effort against the San Antonio Spurs and made his playoff debut with 36 points in a Game 1 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, signaling his arrival as a perimeter force.
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Era (2022–2024)
Edwards was named an All-Star for the first time in February 2023 after being announced as an injury replacement, and he closed that season with a 26-point, 13-rebound, four-steal, four-block performance that pushed Minnesota into the play-in tournament. In the 2023 playoffs, he set a Timberwolves franchise record with 41 points in a single playoff game and joined Kobe Bryant with the second-most 30-point playoff games before turning 22.
Edwards changed his jersey number from 1 to 5 before the 2023–24 season and produced a career-high 51 points against the Washington Wizards on April 9, 2024, earning his first All-NBA Second Team selection. In the postseason, he led Minnesota to its first playoff series win in 20 years by scoring 31 of his 40 points in the second half of a series-clinching win over the Phoenix Suns, and he later recorded a franchise postseason-record 44 points against the Denver Nuggets. That summer, he helped Team USA win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, averaging 12.8 points per game while shooting 58 percent from the field.
Minnesota Timberwolves Franchise Leader Era (2024–Present)
The 2024–25 campaign cemented Edwards as one of the league’s premier scorers. He opened January 2025 with a 53-point performance against the Detroit Pistons, became the Timberwolves’ all-time leader in made three-pointers on January 25, and was selected to his third consecutive All-Star Game. He went on to record three straight 40-point games in February, including 49 points against the Chicago Bulls and 44 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 made three-pointers.
Edwards finished the regular season as the NBA’s three-point leader with 320 makes, the seventh-highest single-season total in league history, and he guided the Timberwolves to a second straight Western Conference Finals appearance. In the 2025–26 season, he set a new franchise record with his 102nd career 30-point game on November 30, 2025, and reached 10,000 career points on January 8, 2026, becoming the third-youngest player in NBA history to hit that milestone. He was named to his fourth straight All-Star Game in February 2026 and earned NBA All-Star Game MVP honors after totaling 32 points and nine rebounds across three games for the USA Stars.
Driving Style and Strengths
Edwards is widely regarded as one of the most explosive athletes in the NBA, combining rare vertical leap with a sturdy frame at 6 feet 4 inches and 225 pounds. He has developed into a high-volume, efficient three-point shooter, leading the league in makes during the 2024–25 season, and his lateral quickness and competitiveness have turned him into a respected on-ball defender praised by coaches like Chris Finch and Steve Kerr. His ability to attack the rim, finish through contact, and guard multiple positions has drawn frequent comparisons to a young Michael Jordan.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments, Edwards hit 10 three-pointers in a single game as a 20-year-old, broke Kobe Bryant’s mark for the most 30-point playoff games before turning 22, set Timberwolves franchise records for points in a playoff game, and became the youngest player in NBA history to make 1,000 three-pointers. In January 2026, he became the seventh player in league history to reach 10,000 career points before turning 25, joining a list that includes LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, and Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony Edwards Career Wins
Edwards has built a resume defined more by individual milestones and deep playoff runs than by championship hardware, though he helped Team USA capture gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He has been selected to four consecutive All-Star Games, two All-NBA Second Teams, and one NBA All-Rookie First Team, while also earning SEC Freshman of the Year and McDonald’s All-American honors earlier in his career.
NBA Highlights
Edwards has been named an NBA All-Star four times (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026), was selected to the All-NBA Second Team in both 2024 and 2025, and was named NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2026. He led the NBA in three-pointers made during the 2024–25 season with 320, set Timberwolves franchise records for points in a playoff game and for career 30-point games, and guided the Timberwolves to back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances in 2024 and 2025.
Other Wins and Performances
Edwards earned McDonald’s All-American and USA Today All-USA first team honors in high school, won SEC Freshman of the Year in 2020, and was selected to the FIBA Basketball World Cup All-Tournament Team in 2023 after leading the United States in scoring with 18.9 points per game. He also helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and in 2024 he won the NBA Fan Favorite award for Block of the Year.
Anthony Edwards Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Edwards grew up in Atlanta with his older sister, Antoinette, and his older brother, Antoine, who shared legal custody of him after the deaths of his mother, Yvette, and his grandmother, Shirley, in 2015. He has often credited his brothers with introducing him to basketball during long sessions at his grandmother’s house and has continued to honor his mother and grandmother by wearing the number 5.
Personal Life
Edwards welcomed his first child, a daughter named Aislynn, in March 2024 with the child’s mother, Shannon. He has been open about the central role his sister, brother, and late mother and grandmother have played in his life, and he is an admitted animal lover who owns two dogs. In 2023, he also made his acting debut with a role in the 2022 sports drama film Hustle.
2025 Season Performance
Edwards opened the 2025 calendar year with one of the most prolific stretches of his career, recording 53 points against the Detroit Pistons on January 4 and surpassing Karl-Anthony Towns for the most made three-pointers in Timberwolves history just three weeks later. He was selected to his third consecutive All-Star Game and strung together three straight 40-point performances in February, including 49 points against the Chicago Bulls and 44 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He finished the regular season as the NBA’s three-point leader with 320 makes.
In the 2025 playoffs, Edwards led Minnesota past the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round with 43 points in a Game 4 win, then guided the Timberwolves past the Golden State Warriors in the second round to reach a second consecutive Western Conference Finals. The Timberwolves ultimately fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games despite a 143–101 Game 3 blowout win in which Edwards scored 30 points in just three quarters.
Edwards carried that momentum into the 2025–26 season, setting a new franchise record for career 30-point games and reaching 10,000 career points at 24 years old, the third-youngest player in NBA history to do so. He was named to his fourth straight All-Star Game in February 2026 and earned All-Star Game MVP honors, reinforcing his status as the face of the Timberwolves franchise and one of the league’s brightest young superstars.
