Austin and Pausha are joined by Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, a.k.a. “Ant-Man,” for a fun, wide-ranging conversation. They start by reacting to the fresh news of Ant not being selected as a Western Conference All-Star and discuss other players who may have been overlooked (3:48). Then, they talk through his past playing football before eventually finding his passion in basketball (9:38) and dive into last year’s playoff run against the Grizzlies and how playoff experience has affected his performance this season (13:07), before touching on his favorite players to face off against (20:01). Plus, a hilarious Rapid Fire: Timberwolves Edition segment (36:28)!
Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi
Guest: Anthony Edwards
Producer: Ben Cruz
Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes
Additional Production Support: Megan Schuster
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In the following excerpt, Austin, Pausha, and Ant discuss the news that Edwards didn’t make this season’s All-Star roster—and Ant tells us whether he’ll join the 3-point contest.
Pausha Haghighi: For you guys to have [Karl-Anthony Towns] being out 33 games, guys in and out of the lineup, Ant, you haven’t missed a game all season, right? And you’ve been putting up great numbers, putting the team on your back multiple nights.
Austin Rivers: Facts.
Haghighi: One game out of the fourth seed, you’re the sixth seed right now. I think it’s crazy that you didn’t make it. Another guy that definitely should have made it is De’Aaron Fox.
Anthony Edwards: Man, listen, with all due respect, some of them folk were not supposed to make that game. But me, I don’t really care. I’m just like, “De’Aaron Fox?” I’m like, “De’Aaron Fox didn’t make it, but this person made it?” I’m not even worried about me.
Rivers: Right, right, right.
Edwards: I’m like, “De’Aaron Fox didn’t make it and this other person made it.” I’m like, “That’s crazy.”
Rivers: Yeah. And they’re like, what, a 3-seed?
Edwards: Yeah. I’m not even worried about me. I ain’t even tripping. I started off the season bad, so I’m not even tripping. I’m cool. Long as we go to the playoffs, I’m cool. I’m like, “De’Aaron Fox supposed to make that game. There’s no way. No way he don’t make that game.”
Rivers: They’re third in the West.
Edwards: And some of them people that made that game is like, you like, “Man, ain’t no way.”
Rivers: That’s the thing about the All-Star Game. It feels like every year somebody gets in and somebody doesn’t. They always say you’re supposed to get snubbed the first year, and then the next year they do you right. I feel like every great player gets snubbed the first year they’re supposed to go, and then after that they end up doing everybody right. You know what I mean? You got to validate it almost. You know what I mean? Next year, you play the same way, or better, which you’re going to be, you’ll be in the All-Star Game.
Haghighi: Ant, I was going to ask you this before the All-Stars got announced. You have the most 3s by any NBA player in NBA history before the age of 22. And it’s not even close.
Rivers: That’s a crazy stat.
Haghighi: I think Luka’s second. It’s not even close. And I was going to ask you if you’re going to go to the 3-point contest? Now that you’re not in the game, is that even something on your mind?
Edwards: Hell, nah. Can I say that or no?
Rivers: Yeah. You can say what you want.
Edwards: Hell, no. … If I would’ve been an All-Star, I would’ve done it, but I’m straight. I’m going to go somewhere, chill out, probably go back and see the family or something. Chill with the fam, which is even better for me.
Rivers: It was either All-Star or I ain’t going.
Edwards: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I probably go to the crib.
Haghighi: I couldn’t imagine you just going to Salt Lake and just swinging by for a 3-point contest.
Edwards: Man, no way.
Haghighi: It’s in Salt Lake City—
Edwards: I probably win it though. For real. I really can shoot, bro. That’s what a lot of people don’t know. I really can shoot the ball. Like, you better close out.