Anthony Edwards made a handful of spectacular plays in his first year in the NBA. He averages 14.6 points per game, and although he’s not playing the ball so well – 38 percent – it’s his first year in the NBA.
And after the dunk he gave on Friday, almost everyone in the NBA knows his name. At the very least, they now know that they should not jump with him.
In a game between Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors, Edwards took a pass and headed the baseline. All that stood between him and a basket was Toronto defender Yuta Watanabe.
So Edwards just dove on top of him. It was the dunk of the year. It was also similar to a murder on a basketball court.
OH MY GOD. Sunken Poster of the Year by Anthony Edwards pic.twitter.com/JgK6zSxV5F
– Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) February 20, 2021
Minnesota Timberwolves’ Twitter account tweeted a photo of the dunk and is a high quality artwork.
THIS IS LEGAL IN THE USA OR CANADA ?????????????? pic.twitter.com/gclwdiUum7
– Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) February 20, 2021
Just look at Watanabe’s face in the photo. He clearly knows that he made a serious mistake in deciding to jump with Edwards.
The dunk was so violent that it had a reaction from almost everyone on social media.
https://t.co/NZF9KXmuLw pic.twitter.com/VM18DQp07G
– Zack Sims (@ zsims413) February 20, 2021
Dead. In broad daylight. 4K Things of that nature. pic.twitter.com/IdOr88iZ5s
– Villainous Mentality (@ColeyMick) February 20, 2021
Nothing was the same pic.twitter.com/aAvL8xKzfV
– Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) February 20, 2021
JEEZ @theantedwards_ 😱
(through @Timberwolves)pic.twitter.com/aCVbtC1pYb
– Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 20, 2021
In this screenshot, it looks like he’s calmly riding a horse to the edge https://t.co/hDOfCvlBU7
– Rodger Sherman (@rodger) February 20, 2021
That’s why there are business decisions. Get out of the way man pic.twitter.com/VO1jzxNaww
– Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) February 20, 2021
I am proud of our boy Aron Baynes for being a spectator and not a victim here. Veteran movement pic.twitter.com/R9MGLPxZFP
– Brian Floyd (@BrianMFloyd) February 20, 2021
Anthony Edwards dunk or murder this idk piece I am not a lawyer, so I don’t know how it goes in court https://t.co/zrIVDrIncw pic.twitter.com/ftue10ESpk
– Connor Riley (@Kconnorriley) February 20, 2021
I thought nothing could be worse than the video of the dunk, but this photo… https://t.co/GFz1L8SvZQ
– Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) February 20, 2021
Holy guacamole!
pic.twitter.com/Db9mzX3OWh– Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) February 20, 2021
Edwards did not have a stellar game, as he finished 3 of 14 on the ground, in the 86-81 defeat. But the athleticism and raw talent he displayed at the dunk is a big reason why he was the No. 1 choice in the NBA’s 2020 Draft draft.
Related: Anthony Edwards reminds everyone why he was the No. 1 choice with a bang
Edwards spent a year in Georgia before leaving for the NBA. After his burial on Friday, it is quite clear that he belongs to the league.
The second most frightening thing besides the dunk is that Edwards is still just a newbie and is 19 years old. He will only continue to improve as a basketball player.
Related: Former Georgian basketball player Anthony Edwards surprises the young Athens native after a home fire tragedy
Hopefully, the rest of the league can learn a valuable lesson from this, as you will be much better off making a business decision if Edwards is buried. Because if you make the decision to try to challenge his attempt, you will probably end up going viral for all the wrong reasons.
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