In the four years that he has been a part of the NBA, Anthony Edwards has developed a standing that has made people put him on the same pedestal as Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. In fact, in the words of ‘His Airness’ himself “That Brother (Edwards) is special. No question about it.” The Timberwolves star himself has put the six-time NBA champion in high regard. However, his latest praise about Jordan put him in hot water, as he claimed that the latter was “the only one that really had skill” amongst the players of this era. Days later, the NBA world continues to react.

In a Fox Sports radio segment published earlier today, hosts Rob Parker and Aaron Torres touched base on Anthony Edwards’ recent remarks. Torres looked to be besides himself, as he criticized the Timberwolves shooting guard for not only criticizing the basketball athletes of the previous era, but also that he did so without any context. The author/radio host highlighted that eras should not be a topic of conversation without a specific topic, as everything from on-court values, the competition, and the way that the game was taught was different.

“The Skill Across the Board is a little bit better now than 30 years ago, that’s a different conversation,” said Torres. “I still think the context matters, the game was taught differently back then, there were different values back then, the back to the basket center more back then. It doesn’t change the fact, yes, the league across the board is probably more skilled. but to say that Michael Jordan was the only skilled one…. Oh, by the way, I didn’t actually watch. I have no context, but I’m gonna say it anyways. It’s just absurd.”

The radio host wasn’t the only one who had some choice words to use against the 23-year-old. After Edwards’s remarks went viral, #23’s former teammate and five-time NBA champion Ron Harper went on to state “Stop feeding into nonsense and respect your peers who played before you. This is like saying, what have my mom and dad done for me?” In the aftermath of the release of the popular Netflix Documentary ‘The Last Dance’, the same came under fire by former Bulls players after it reportedly placed too much emphasis on Michael Jordan when it should have been collectively about each of them. Therefore, while it may not have been Anthony Edwards’ intentions, his statement may or may not have transported Harper back to that years-old incident.

The basketball era of the 80s and the 90s saw the NBA reaching to new heights, thanks to players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan. For the last decade, the league has had stars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant as the faces. According to a report by ‘The Charge’, the NBA of the 90s was mostly focused on low scoring games and a higher physical style of gameplay, as seen by the ‘Bad Boys’ Detroit Pistons’s bruising defense. However, the modern playing style has players focusing on a faster pace, more three-point shooting, and spacing. Furthermore, the NBA themselves have played a role in the drastic change, introducing new rules that focused on more scoring and extra safety of the players whilst doing so. Examples of these include the ‘hand-checking’ ban and the enforcement of ‘defensive three seconds.’ If such guidelines were present in the 80s and 90s, maybe things would have been different in regards the skill efficiency of the players when it came to scoring.

The different sets of rules can be an example to use when justifying why Anthony Edwards was both right, and wrong, in his recent remarks. However, no matter the reasons, it will take some time for the NBA world, especially those of the 90s, to adjust to the critique. After all, Ron Harper was not the only star of the 90s who took offense at what was said.

Isiah Thomas takes a shot at Anthony Edwards

Barely a few hours after the Wall Street Journal article carrying Anthony Edwards’s words when public, Isiah Thomas was quick to respond. The former NBA player represented one of the most dominating, and hated, franchises of the 90s: the Detroit Pistons. Carrying the ‘Bad Boys’ group name, Thomas and co were known for their ‘roughhouse’ style of play, reportedly engaging in throwing forearms, elbows and fits when defending against or undermining their rivals. Therefore, the former player may be believing that any of his rivals who may have endured that much, and still give their fullest, should not be diminished.

“Propaganda works, so be careful what you choose to believe” wrote Thomas on his official X account.

The ‘Bad Boys’ Pistons, especially Isiah Thomas, were despised probably the most by Michael Jordan and his Bulls roster. If there was any team that could stand between ‘His Airness’ and the Larry O’Brien trophy, it was them. Despite this, Jordan still respected Isiah Thomas’s basketball skills, describing him as the best point guard of all-time behind Magic Johnson. Therefore, even if Edwards chooses to place Jordan as the only viable player in the 90s, the latter himself had players from the era who he deeply respected for their prowess.