Picture Credit: Twitter
Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards has recently changed his jersey number from 1 to 5, and he thinks it will make him a whole new player. Timberwolves fans will no doubt be enthusiastic about Edwards thinking he can take his game to another level, having already hit the ground running. The player hit career highs all across the board last season in all major stats categories. Edwards revealed that he had actually wanted to make the switch for a long time due to a long time sentimental connection to the number 5 jersey that he wore during his high school and college days.
Edwards was the overall number 1 pick in the 2020 draft when he was signed to the Timberwolves. At the time, Malik Beasley wore the number 5 jersey and young Edwards had to settle for the number 1. When Beasley was traded last year it was already past the deadline for Edwards to switch his number. It was taken by new signing Kyle Anderson, who was open to swapping with Edwards to give the star his preferred number and, now, he finally has it after three-long years.
The number means a lot to Edwards as a sentimental connection to his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. He wore the number 5 throughout his career in high school and college basketball. Still deeply rooted in Atlanta, Edwards wants his number 5 jersey to symbolize that his real self is now in Minnesota, giving everything for the Timberwolves. The number is also a nod to his late mother and grandmother, who he lost to cancer when he was just 14-year-old. 5 is a representation of the family unit that raised him, also signifying that those who have passed away are still with him in spirit whenever he takes to the court.
Edwards said, “I wanted to do it after my first year, I couldn’t do it. I wanted to do it after my second year, I couldn’t do it. We were just waiting for the right time.”
Edwards says he will be a changed player
The 21-year-old thinks the jersey change will make him into a whole new player on another level. When asked by Shams Charania what Timberwolves fans should expect, he said, “A lot of athleticism. A lot more dunks. A different level of play because I got my number on my back now.”
Long-time friend of Edwards and business partner Justin Holland said, “He’s playing for his family. It’s a family number… he’s already a player that has confidence, but I think you’ll see a little step up in his swagger with the No. 5 on his chest.”
Edwards will leave his Timberwolves training camp this week with the US team for the upcoming FIBA World Cup that begins on August 25 in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.
