Today, former NBA player and renowned commentator Perkins discussed the leadership issue of the U.S. men’s basketball team for the next Olympics on his show.
Perkins stated,
“(The answer to this question) is simple, (the new leader is) Edwards. At this Olympics, we saw times when James, Durant, and Curry would let him take charge of the game. They would sit back and tell Edwards ‘kid, go out there and shine.’ We also saw head coach Kerr giving him ample playing time, sometimes it looked like Edwards was playing as if he were alone on the court, not passing the ball. I think this is a tacit understanding between him and the coach, and also a sign of the team’s trust in Edwards.”
“He came into the Olympics saying he was the first choice for the team, and others accepted that too. Although he didn’t finish strong, clearly those veterans helped him win the games, but the baton has been passed to Edwards.”
Edwards was once the top scorer for the U.S. men’s basketball team, but his relatively poor performance in the knockout stages eventually made him the second leading scorer. To become the new leader, Edwards has a long way to go, but the first thing he needs to do is lead the Timberwolves to an NBA championship.