Carmelo Anthony: Anthony Edwards ‘can’t run’ from being face of NBA

Carmelo Anthony: Anthony Edwards ‘can’t run’ from being face of NBA

Anthony Edwards, a former No. 1 overall pick, is one of the league’s top young stars and put the league on display last postseason, knocking off the then-reigning champion Denver Nuggets and helping advance the Minnesota Timberwolves to their first Western Conference Finals since 2003-04.

The Wolves eventually lost in five games to the Dallas Mavericks. But Edwards’ emergence was one to behold, especially for an organization mired by mediocrity and dysfunction over the last two decades.

With LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry all entering the final stages of their respective careers, there’s been discussion about the next “Face of the NBA” should be. Edwards, 23, is a name that frequently comes up. Though he doesn’t want to be anywhere near that honor:

Anthony Edwards on being the face of the NBA someday:

“Well, I’m capable of being that guy. But I don’t want to be that guy, put it like that. I want to be the guy to just show up and hoop and just kill dudes and go home.” pic.twitter.com/i5Hly1SMzG

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) February 15, 2025

Carmelo Anthony, a 19-year veteran and 10-time All-Star, opined that, regardless of whether Edwards desires to be the next face of the league or not, he can’t run from it.

“You can’t run from that,” Anthony said recently on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast. “Especially, when everybody is trying to give you the face. You can say I’m out, but what you out of? You ain’t got no choice but to be who you worked to be. …  You can’t say I don’t want then, and then got Adidas, Sprite. … But you can’t reject it, you gotta pick a side. This is what comes with being a superstar.”

"You can't reject it and then be on 4-5 commercials… This is what comes with being a superstar."

Carmelo Anthony on Anthony Edwards not wanting to be the face of the league 👀

(via @7PMinBrooklyn)pic.twitter.com/sSuSTRBkrj

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 20, 2025

While he may not have won an NBA Title or been the face of the league himself, Anthony was one of the best shotmakers of his era. He won a scoring title and was a six-time All-NBA honoree. He’s got credentials and lived up to the bill after being the No. 3 overall pick in the loaded top of the 2003 NBA Draft class.

Others who could be in the running for the current face of the NBA is Victor Wembanyama–an international superstar–as well as Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Ja Morant or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, among others.

Report: Kevin Garnett expected to join Timberwolves front office after ownership change

The league is looking for a domestic star, but Edwards apparently doesn’t want to be lumped in with the rest in terms of being the league’s next face. Nevertheless, he’s still unquestionably a star and a franchise player that Minnesota should do everything in its power to build around. What does that amount to?

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