Anthony Edwards has quickly learned what will happen when one gives an uninformed take on past eras in the NBA. To be fair, Minnesota Timberwolves fans know that Ant made his comment in a lighthearted way, not meaning to offend anyone. In that way, perhaps he deserves a bit of a pass.
But by saying that Michael Jordan was the only talented player of his era directly after saying he hasn’t watched games from that era and “can’t speak on it,” he opened himself up to a world of criticism. This week, Rasheed Wallace became the latest former player to rebuke Edwards, and he had some pretty harsh words for the youngster.
Appearing on The Sheed & Tyler Show, 2004 NBA champion Rasheed Wallace made it clear that he disagreed with Edwards. To prove his own point, Sheed decided to name off a few payers from his era that he believes Ant has yet to surpass.
“I like Ant Man too,” Wallace said. “But here’s my thing. At this point in his career, in my opinion, he’s not better than a Derrick McKey. He’s not better than a Grant Hill, he’s not better than a Scottie Pippen.”
Some on social media were calling out Rasheed for the inclusion of Derrick McKey, who is pretty clearly the least of the three players listed. But preemptively knowing the criticism that would come from him comparing Edwards to an 11 points per game career scorer in McKey, Wallace had a rebuttal prepared.
“I’m just trying to name just a few wingmen from that 90s era. But again, I’m talking both sides of the ball now,” he said. “You know Derrick McKey was a defender. Offense wasn’t that great, but he would give you a good solid 14, 16, 18, which would hurt that team. But he was a solid defender.”
Rasheed doubled down on the fact that he likes Ant as a player, but he simply wants him to be more geniune when he makes these statements. “I love his tenacity, I love the dog in him, I love what he’s trying to become, but here’s the thing. You’ve also got to be respectful with it. Just do your homework. Do your history, watch games, watch series. Don’t just look at highlights.”
Ramona Shelburne, ESPN Senior WriterDec 26, 2024, 10:29 AM ETCloseSenior writer for ESPN.comSpent seven years at the Los Angeles Daily NewsKevin Durant was on t
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