From the fried chicken boy to the new wolf king! Edwards counterattack, hiding a promise to his relatives in heaven

Which future superstar have you met who can show off 21 packs of French fries in a week? Do you still have to order fried chicken takeout after the game? But it was this "rebellious" born-00s boy who was called "the next Jordan" by fans - he was Anthony Edwards, the new wolf king of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the "revenge boy" who used basketball to fight for his family.

Lost his father at the age of 5, and his parents and grandmother at the age of 14: His basketball is a promise to his relatives in heaven. Edwards' childhood is even more tear-jerking than a movie. When his father left at the age of 5, his mother and grandmother became his "whole world". To keep him away from the bad influence of the community, my mother pushed him into the sports field - first rugby, he ran like a "little cheetah" and became the focus of his peers at the age of 9.

But fate always likes to joke. When he was 9 years old, a fracture on the football field made him turn to basketball. On the day of removing the plaster, he dunked for the first time - "It turns out that the feeling of flying is so similar to the embrace of his mother." From then on, basketball became his "new battlefield".

The critical hit of life has just begun. In 2015, my mother died of cancer; a few months later, my grandmother's cancer relapsed and she left him. Edwards, 14, gritted his teeth at the funeral and said to his brother, "I want them to be proud." He changed his jersey number to No. 5 (both mother and grandmother died on No. 5, and he was born on No. 5), and practiced with his brother in the backyard at 6 a.m. every morning - he knew that only by becoming stronger can they see them in heaven.

From the No. 1 high school student in the United States to the No. 1 NBA pick: His talent was "trained with his life".

When in high school, Edwards' basketball talent completely exploded. He can take off and dunk from within the three-point line and complete difficult backwards in confrontation - the coach said he is "like Wade, but more powerful." When choosing a university, he rejected Kentucky and North Carolina and chose the University of Georgia, the closest to his home. "I want to be closer to my family."

In Georgia, his physical talent shocked everyone. The physical fitness coach (former NFL trainer) said: "I have brought countless football monsters, but Edwards' physical fitness can rank among the top three I have seen." During the physical test, he jumped vertically by 100cm (the top ten NBA rookies level), and another 5cm later a month and a half - "His training is for life."

On the 2020 draft night, the Timberwolves selected him with the No. 1 pick. The camera swept through, and his mother and grandmother were portraits next to him: "They will be proud of me." From the Sunshine Boy in the South to the "New King of Ice City" in Minnesota, his NBA career officially began.

From "parallel pick" to the leader of the American team: His transformation hides the pain of 14 years old

Edwards, who just entered the NBA, was once labeled as "parallel pick" - the coach did not give him tactics, and the three goals in the same class became "triple doubles", but his shooting percentage was less than 30% in four consecutive games. When he was anxious, Towns patted him on the shoulder: "I understand the pain of losing a loved one. You have to play them the way they should."

On February 20, 2021, he faced Yuta Watanabe's defensive violent dunk - this dunk shattered all doubts. Since then, his scoring record has been constantly refreshed: 42 points (the third youngest 40+ in history), Best Rookie First Team, American Team Leader (rejecting substitute, "We don't have Kobe in our team"), World Cup Best Team...

Now Edwards is the "new wolf king" of the Timberwolves. On the wall of the target center, the core mural of last season was replaced by him - the fan said: "We waited for 20 years and finally waited for the second wolf king."

So what if you love fried chicken? His passion is more precious than any talent

Some people complained that he "loves fried chicken and is not self-disciplined", but no one saw his crazy training: after 3 hours of high-intensity training, his teammates were exhausted and he could dunk easily; in the international arena, he carried the banner of the American team and told the world with dunks and jump shots: "I am the leader."

He said that if the NFL chose him, he might leave the NBA - Football is his "first love", the sport that his mother and grandmother have been with him for the longest time. But every sprint and every block he sprinted on the court (even if he hits the rebound), he said: "What I love has never been basketball itself, it is basketball that can bring me closer to them."

His goal is to let them in heaven see the championship

Now Edwards, how far is it from the championship? No one knows. But in his story, there are things more precious than talent - the pain that was engraved into his bones at the age of 14, the promise to his family, and the obsession with "I want to make them proud."

This big boy who loves fried chicken proves with dunks and 42 points: he is not the next Jordan, he is the first Edwards - the new Wolf King fighting for his family, and the future NBA leader.