Anthony Edwards’ pathway from orphan to NBA All-Star

This hooper has quite the come-up story that has played a big part in his journey into the league.

TLDR

• Ant-man was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia where he quickly learned the value of family after his father abandoned his family at an early age. This caused Ant and his family to bounce from one place to another.

• Ant’s grandma took the entire family into her home, where she became a real foundation for Ant and his family as she helped Ant’s mom battle ovarian cancer.

• Anthony eventually lost his mother in 2015 and 8 months later, lost his grandma to cancer as well. This is when he began to wear the number 5 to honor both of them because both passed away on the 5th of the month.

• Ant’s brother and sister Antoinette got custody of Anthony and finished raising their little brother. This is when Ant shifted his purpose to basketball in hopes to reach his goal of playing in the NBA.

• By the time he graduated, he received offers from Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina. But chose Georgia to remain close to his family. Passing up on bigger programs did not hurt him as he ultimately was picked first overall in the 2020 NBA draft.

Since being drafted as a No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Anthony Edwards has made an early impact in the league. Though he has earned early success, he went through trials and tribulations as a young kid before his dreams of playing pro ever unfolded.

Ant-man was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia where he quickly learned the value of family and community. He embraced quality family time as a kid, whether that be going to cookouts or playing his brothers in backyard basketball. Although his dad walked away from the family early on, this made Ant prioritize family even more. The abandonment of his father put a financial burden on the family, leaving them unstable and causing them to move from one place to another. As a middle schooler, Anthony had to watch his mom struggle to make ends meet all while having to cope with the tough experience himself. Ant’s grandma eventually took the entire family into her home, where they all forged an unbreakable bond.

Grandma had a huge impact on young Ant-man. After all, It says a lot about her support and love when she wrote “Future McDonald’s All-American” & “Future NBA player” on Anthony’s bedroom wall. Anthony’s grandma encouraged him and ingrained values that he can still implement today– like being the first one in and the last one out of practice.

The biggest lesson Grandma Shirley may have taught Anthony was to push through the pain. At this point in their life, Ant’s mom, Chrisha, started enduring a battle with ovarian cancer. Everyone in the family played their role to support Chrisha Edwards— from grandma coming home after work to take care of her, to the kids helping in any way with errands, and Anthony sleeping right by his mother's side making sure she had everything she needed to be comfortable.

As much of the family worked to fight cancer with Chrisha, Anthony eventually lost his mother in 2015 while he was in the 5th grade. It was a time period of tragic grief and heartbreak. There was no doubt that Ant had a special bond with his mom. Despite the pain, Grandma still kept it together for the family and remained committed to raising Ant and his siblings. As she fought her own battle with cancer, it was just 8 months later when Anthony’s grandma also passed away. At this point, it seemed like Ant’s entire foundation collapsed. He had no parents and had to worry about things no 8th grader should have to think about: from where he was going to sleep to who was left to raise him and what bills to pay?

Thankfully, Ant’s brother Antoine and his sister Antoinette came together to get custody of Anthony and finished raising their little brother. The three stuck together as a unit regardless of if they didn't make a high income or had much to offer financially. The biggest thing was that Ant was surrounded by the family once again and had that stable roof over his head. With his core aligned once more, he was able to shift his entire focus to basketball. Other than his family, the only thing on his mind was his NBA dream. He even wore number 5 after his mom and grandma died to honor the two of them because both passed away on the 5th of the month.

Ant-Man locked all the way in and kept it pushing. By the time he graduated, he received well-deserved offers from Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina. Ant eventually decided to commit to Georgia to remain close to his family. Though he passed up on bigger programs, Anthony was not phased and it clearly did not put damage the outcome. He was still right on track to attaining his NBA goals and saw the dream come to life when the Timberwolves called his name first overall in the 2020 draft. Best of all, he had giant paintings of his mom and grandma next to each shoulder when he was drafted.

Now that he is in his third year in the league, Ant-Man still keeps his mom and grandma in his heart. At just 21 years old, Ant-Man is a young star who continues to prove his place in the league as a player with utmost dedication and grit. Even with all the loss he has suffered, it never broke him. Ant has come a long way and the ceiling is still so high for him and the rest of his career.

• Imagine if this MVP never played in the league🏀

• This player has been put to the test 👏

• Will this high school player make it pro?🤔

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