Unlike the past few years when fans have had to wait all offseason to watch their favorite stars play again in a meaningful game, the NBA’s biggest stars are playing in the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Team USA’s roster is as loaded as ever with names like LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, and Kawhi Leonard all deciding to suit up this summer. There is also a mix of young stars on the team with Tyrese Halliburton, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony Edwards all getting the nod.
While the team has only been together for a couple of days and getting work in against the select team, there have already been plenty of headlines made. We have seen James and his Lakers teammate Anthony Davis link up, Curry doing what Curry does from deep, and also some impressive plays from the select team’s Cooper Flagg who is heading into his freshman year at Duke at 17 years of age.
However, even with all of the legends in attendance and the next great prospect on display, it has been Edwards who has been making the most headlines. He already turned heads when he said that he is the No. 1 option on the team, despite the fact he may not even get a starting nod.
“I’m still the No. 1 option,” Edwards told reporters. “Y’all might look at it differently, but I don’t.”
If you are familiar with Edwards and his sky-high level of confidence, these comments won’t shock you. Especially after a season that saw him average 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while leading his team to the Western Conference Finals. Despite being the youngest player on the team, he is confident that he will be helping the team in one way or another.
“I just go out there and be myself. … Shoot my shots, play defense. They’ve got to fit in to play around me. That’s how I feel,” Edwards said.
However, these comments aren’t the ones that have stirred up fans the most and caused the most debates. Instead, his thoughts on who the “alpha” of the team has led to some disagreements on social media.
When asked who will be the alpha when the game is on the line, Edwards surprisingly didn’t go with himself. Instead, he went with Phoenix Suns star and Team USA’s all-time leading scorer, Kevin Durant.
“When the game is on the line who’s our alpha? I think Kevin Durant, he better be… that’s who I came to see,” Edwards told the media.
This choice has led to fans discussing if the answer should be Durant or James, with one fan suggesting that fans and media view James in a higher light than the players writing “Lebron is ESPN favourite like messi while KD is people and players favourite like ronaldo. One is given everything and one is scrutinized for everything”. Another fan disagreed with Edwards, commenting “Everybody knows the true alpha come crunch time is Bron”.
It is worth noting that Durant is Edwards’ favorite player, which also may be a factor in his decision.
“Who do I look to for advice? Of course KD, that’s my favorite player of all time, anything I wanna ask I go straight to him,” Edwards said.
The Timberwolves star got to send his idol home early in the playoffs as Minnesota swept Phoenix in the first round of the recent playoffs.
In terms of who the alpha is for this team, it is so loaded that it can be whoever has the hot hand. Whether it be James, Durant, Curry, or even Edwards himself, this team is talented and experienced enough to know what the right play is. While this may be a debate amongst fans, both Durant and James are well-versed in playing with fellow superstars, and are well past the point in their careers where they need to feel like they are the top dog.
Someone may however give Edwards a heads-up about avoiding any possible headlines that can distract the team from winning their fifth-straight gold.