Anthony Edwards calls himself ‘No. 1 Option’ for Team USA over LeBron, Curry, Durant

Despite playing on a roster loaded with veterans and stars, Minnesota Timberwolves defenseman Anthony Edwards sees himself as the top option for Team USA as they prepare for the Olympic Games in Paris.

“I’m still the number one option. You guys might look at it differently,” Edwards said, according to the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver. “…I just go out there and be myself. Shoot my shots, play defense. They have to pass to play me. That’s how I feel.”

Team USA features players like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid and many other stars, but after having the best season of his career, Edwards believes he is the player they will look at first.

Edwards is coming off a season in which he averaged 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. In the playoffs, he averaged 27.5 points per game and had three games of 40+ points to lead the Timberwolves to a Western Conference Finals appearance.

After the season he’s had, it’s safe to say Edwards has a lot of confidence.

But the rising star is also the youngest member of the team at 22, so he’ll likely have to earn more respect from veterans like James and Steph Curry before he’s truly considered the team’s number one player.

Whoever Team USA selects as the No. 1 pick, they will expect that player to lead them to gold.

Team USA will begin its gold medal battle on July 28 when it takes on the Serbian team led by Nikola Jokić.

Despite winning gold at the 2020 Olympics, Team USA is coming off a disappointing performance at the 2023 FIBA ​​World Cup, where it finished in fourth place. With many NBA stars opting to play in the Paris Olympics, Team USA should be able to bounce back with a strong performance later this month.