Having been a fan of the Minnesota Timberwolves since their debut season of 1989-90, of course I wanted to read this book. Not only because of the subject matter, but also because of the author, who has been a very good beat writer for the team the last 7 years. Here is my review of "Ant."
Title/Author:
“Ant: The Incredible Journey of NBA Rising Star Anthony Edwards” by Chris Hine
Rating:
4 of 5 stars (very good)
Review:
Anthony Edwards has propelled both himself and his team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, into levels of fame and prosperity that neither had ever occupied before. However, for Edwards, his personality and approach to relationships with people and how he handles them have not changed drastically since he was a young boy. This book by Timberwolves beat writer Chris Hine takes an in-depth look at Edwards’ path to where he is today.
The first section of the book focuses primarily on Edwards’ outstanding performance in a different sport, football. While he eventually switched to basketball, the lessons learned in football on how to handle adversity, how to interact properly with coaches, teammates and other people in general, and who he can trust and not trust. The latter especially came into good use as Edwards’ star took off in basketball during his high school days. It should also be noted that he was often described by people who knew him well and were interviewed by Hine as one who was an “old soul” (a term used several time) because he would be asking inquisitive questions and say statements that just were not expected to be spoken by someone at a young age.
When writing about Edwards’ college and professional career (all 4 seasons in the book with the Timberwolves), Hine followed the same pattern of writing about Edwards’ interactions with people, whether coaches, teammates, his “inner circle” or other similar people important in his life. Even well after they passed away, his mother and grandmother were still important influences in his life. While many, including myself, may remember the pictures of those two women next to him when the Timberwolves made Edwards the #1 pick of the 2020 NBA draft, it is noteworthy to see how much he still values their wisdom and guidance.
While there is some writing about the action on the court, especially during the Timberwolves’ 2024 run to the Western Conference Finals (the last season the book covers), this book focuses much more on Edwards the person instead of Edwards the basketball player and as a result, readers should learn a lot about the young man who is becoming one of the iconic faces of the NBA today. This is true no matter how closely the reader follows the Timberwolves, the NBA or basketball in general.
I wish to thank Harper for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.
