Wolves’ Anthony Edwards named an All-Star
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards celebrates during the fourth quarter of the team's NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King)
The Minnesota Timberwolves will have a representative at the 2023 NBA All-Star game after all.
Friday, the league named the team’s young star guard, Anthony Edwards, an All-Star.
Edwards becomes the eighth player in franchise history to be named an All-Star. It also marks the second consecutive season Minnesota will have an All-Star.
It’s the first All-Star nod for Edwards, who appeared in the Rising Stars Challenge last season.
Edwards has played in all 58 games this season and leads Minnesota in points per game (24.7) and steals per game (1.7). The Timberwolves say no player in the past four seasons has led their team in games played, points per game and steals per game for a full season.
The No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft also leads all third-year players in scoring and ranks 16th overall in the NBA. He’s also scored at least 30 points 16 times this season, which no other player from the 2020 draft class has done more than five times.
His stat line this season also puts him in elite company, as he’s one of five players in league history to average at least 24 points, six rebounds and four assists per game at age 21 or younger. If he keeps it up the full season, he’d join Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Tracy McGrady and Michael Jordan on the exclusive list.
The All-Star game will be played next Sunday in Salt Lake City.