Anthony Edwards is a superstar. There is no doubt at this stage of his NBA career.
Five seasons, the Guard des Timberwolves du Minnesota has established itself as one of the best players, the most exciting and impactful in the League.
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But in 2020, the jury remained outside. And Steve Kerr was not a believer. At least not at the beginning.
The coach of the Golden State Warriors was less than impressed by training before Edwards cog and transmitted a message to Edwards who changed his approach to the game.
Edwards has already told the story. From now on, Edwards and Kerr shared it before their confrontation in the semi-finals of the West Conference while the Edwards Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors from Kerr are preparing to compete on Tuesday evening.
The Timberwolves held selection No. 1 in the 2020 draft in which Edwards, James Wiseman and Lamelo Ball were all considered candidates to go first. The Warriors had the choice n ° 2 and therefore made their reasonable diligence on the main prospects, included Edwards.
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During a training session before the rout, Kerr told Edwards that the Warriors would not select it if they had the choice n ° 1. Leave Edwards tell the story:
“Is that all you have?”
“Before coming, I thought I said to myself, working hard,” said Edwards about Kerr at a press conference before match 1. “And, as, when he came, I crossed the exercises. And he continued to stop them, like,” is that all you have? Is that all you have? “”
“I say to myself,” I sweat crazy.
It was not the end of the interaction of Kerr and Edwards before the Rabat.
'We will not take you'
Edwards said he had gone dinner that evening with a contingent of warriors who included Kerr and then managing director Bob Myers. There, Edwards said that Warriors Brass had told him that they would not write it if they had the first global choice.
“They always said to me continuously that” you did not work hard enough, “continued Edwards.” If we had the choice n ° 1, we will not take you. '”
Steve Kerr's lyrics have served as a motivation for Anthony Edwards to intensify his training sessions and his game. Now Kerr will see the fruits of this first -hand work with a trip to the Western Conference in play. Images David Berding / Getty)
(David Berding via Getty Images)
But there was no resentment. Edwards, rather than Kerr and Myers' words serve motivation.
“Me and my trainer let's go home after dinner, and we just speak like” we have to recover it “,” said Edwards. “'I don't know how. I don't know what we have to do. But we have to get it back.'
“After that, guy, I went crazy in the gymnasium. I try to work until I am tired, I am exhausted.”
Kerr's side of history
Kerr was asked about the interaction and recalled his version of history on Monday during a virtual press conference in his hotel room.
“It's a funny story,” said Kerr. “I didn't think about it much at the time. I didn't think I was doing something special.… I think it was (Warriors owner) Joe Lacob, Bob Myers and I. And then Ant goes out to work with his coach. We are the only five people at the gymnasium.
“After 15 minutes to just watch it pull lazily 15 feet, I thought, when training will start? And it turns out that it was training. And I just went there and I said,” Hey, can we see something more? “And I think they were a little surprised.
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Kerr then recalled what happened at dinner that evening.
“And then we dined that evening,” continued Kerr. “Bob and I both talked about Steph and Kevin Durant and Klay and how hard they work, which it takes to be great. He was truly captivated by that, hearing stories about these guys.”
Kerr continued saying that training with Edwards two weeks later was “much better”.
“At this point, we were sure,” said Kerr about the second training with Edwards. “You could see that he explodes with talent and charisma.”
Unfortunately, the Timberwolves took Edwards N ° 1 in total, and the Warriors have never been lucky for him.
Kerr has since trained Edwards at the Paris Olympic Games and talks about brilliant from Edwards as a person and a basketball player. Now he will have to place the game against Edwards while Golden State seeks to qualify for the Western Conference final.
