The “Face of The League” conversation has been hot in recent weeks. The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards wants nothing to do with it though. That stance has seemed to have befuddled some in the media, but I get it. It’s evident that the squeaky clean imagery that’s necessary to be that figure is an acquired taste. Everyone isn’t necessarily cut for it. I have tried to put myself in Edwards’ shoes, and I can understand that sentiment.
When you become a face of a league, your image becomes everything. Those images have less to do with basketball in this case and more about how positive of a figure you can be. Well, there isn’t an entity that endorses me, so I can live and make any mistakes on my own. Those things can happen without the eyes of the world on me. But that isn’t the case for Edwards.
Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves attempts a shot against the Phoenix Suns. Photo: Kelsey Grant/Getty Images
As a young NBA superstar, there’s so much that is thrown at these young men. They’ve spent so much of their lives training to become these otherworldly athletes. And in my opinion, they end up at a deficit socially. Because of that, many players find themselves in situations that could be avoided, if they knew how to navigate them better. One common scenario that you find these players in are their dealings with women, and their insistence on not using protection in those moments. Players become legally bound to these women. So they end up having to take financial responsibility for the child that is ultimately made from all of this.
That brings us to a familiar situation. It’s one that Edwards has been involved in before, and reportedly, is in again. So, I’ve come to a few conclusions. One is that the Timberwolves star wants to “have his fun,” for lack of a better term. Also, he wants to do so clearly without contraception. Thirdly, I think with all of the moving parts and legalities, he simply can’t commit to such a title. He has to sort some things out personally before he could even fathom taking on such a responsibility. If that is his thought process, then I can’t blame him.
Now these behaviors, in some cases, are very common in many of our neighborhoods. The lying and infidelity of affluent people isn’t news. Hell, poor people are on that type of time sometimes too. But it isn’t behavior deemed marketable by a league that wants its face to be a beacon of positivity. They’d much rather a figure that promoted more stability. That’s not to disparage Edwards, but he clearly has maturing to do and it’ll be on his own time. But his lifestyle makes it very clear as to why he wouldn’t want to take on the responsibility of being the league’s most marketable player. There’s no doubt he’d want to avoid articles like this written about him, but that’s the name of his game and the game that he chose: superstardom.
What I’m explaining is only a microcosm of the idea. But I can assure you, being a superstar isn’t as coveted anymore due to the bevy of pundits out there. You no longer have to only deal with scrutiny from journalists and other media personalities. Everyone has a voice in our society now, it’s overwhelming. It’s overwhelming when you’re not even a superstar, so just imagine the heightened levels if you are one.
We spent a good chunk of last week analyzing LeBron James confronting Stephen A. Smith about his parenting being in question. Of course, James brought some of this attention on himself. But just imagine, how much he has let slide or not speak on in 21 seasons. The point is that everyone has their limits. As these new players come up, they’re coming to grips with the realities that they don’t want. A word to the wise though, child support isn’t the most ideal reality either. So let’s think critically, and as James would say, be better tomorrow.