Timberwolves' Edwards shocked, motivated by Kerr's criticism - ESPN

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards drew high praise from Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr during their time together for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup this summer, but Edwards revealed Thursday afternoon that wasn't always the case.

Edwards recalled meeting Kerr for his workout leading up to the 2020 NBA draft — where the Timberwolves made him the No. 1 overall selection — and being told by Kerr during the workout that he «wasn't working hard enough.»

«I thought I was working hard,» Edwards said at Timberwolves media day on Thursday. «When he came, I was going through drills and he kept stopping them, like, 'That's all you got? That's all you got?' And I'm like, 'Bruh, I'm going hard as you want me to go. What you want me to do? I'm sweating crazy.'»

Edwards joined Kerr and Bob Myers, then the Warriors team president, for dinner later that evening, where they reiterated the same message, including telling Edwards if they had the No.1 overall selection, they would not have drafted him.

Golden State ended up selecting James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick in that draft.

«He's like, 'Man, you've got to see Steph [Curry], KD and Klay [Thompson] work out,» Edwards said. «They still was continuously telling me, 'You didn't work hard enough. If we had the No.1 pick, we wouldn't take you.' And I was just like, 'Damn, that's crazy.'»

Although Edwards remembered being surprised by his work ethic being questioned, he also realized Kerr was right.

«Me and my trainer riding home after dinner and we're just talking like we got to pick it up,» Edwards said. «I don't know how, I don't know what we got to do, but we got to pick it up. After that. I became a madman at the gym.»

Fast forward three years