The NBA finally held its draft for the upcoming season on Wednesday, and the change-making night left everyone with the one name on their mind: Anthony Edwards.
The 19-year-old was selected as the Minnesota Timberwolves' No. 1 pick.
While Edwards, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound guard from Atlanta, was floated to be a top pick in the draft, according to ESPN, the athlete said it was still an "indescribable feeling" when his name was actually called.
Before heading into next season's training camps, which start on Dec. 1, here are some things to know about the basketball star.
He’s “not really into” basketball.
Ahead of the draft on Wednesday, Edwards spoke to ESPN about his future in the NBA and admitted that basketball is more like a job to him.
"I'm still not really into it," he said of the sport. "I love basketball, yeah. It's what I do."
Edwards revealed that football was actually his first love, but he pivoted to basketball after scoring his first dunk and realizing he could go further as in the sport.
"That's all I needed to see," he told ESPN.
He honors his late mother and grandmother by wearing a No. 5 jersey.
The athlete's mother Yvette and grandmother Shirley both died of cancer months apart in 2015, according to ESPN.
Both family members died on the fifth day of each month, which is why Edwards wore the No. 5 throughout his high school and college career, Yahoo Sports reported.
During Wednesday night's draft, Edwards paid tribute to his mother and grandmother by sitting next to paintings of them while waiting to hear his name be called.
"As far as just being excited and just being happy and ready to go and ready to work and ready to get there as soon as possible, those emotions were overwhelming with just my mother and grandmother being there," he said after being selected, according to CBS Sports.
Adding, "I mean, it was just a dream come true and just a blessing."
He turned pro after only one season at the University of Georgia.
Coming out of Atlanta's Holy Spirit Prep as a five-star recruit, Edwards played one year as a Georgia Bulldog, averaging 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists as a freshman.
During the 2019-20 season, the Bulldogs went 16-16 and finished 13th in the Southeastern Conference, according to USA Today.
He was named the SEC freshman of the year.
Edwards was the first Georgia player to be named freshman of the year since 2001.
He led all Division I freshmen in scoring and was also selected as SEC's newcomer of the year by the Associated Press.
Dwyane Wade thinks Edwards can “be better” than him.
Asked which player Edwards would compare himself to, the athlete said he saw similarities between himself and three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade.
"I look on the TV and say I can be that guy, or I can be better than him," Edwards said on ESPN's SportsCenter.
Seeing his response, former NBA star Wade agreed with Edwards and wrote on Twitter that the young athlete could "be better" than him.
The Miami Heat legend, 38, also celebrated Edwards as the first pick for Wednesday's draft.
"America here is your number 1 pick!" Wade tweeted.
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