Anthony Edwards is why we watch the NBA — dynamic athlete and scorer on the court, big personality and fun off the court. Among the running bits is Edwards talking about making a run to the southern fried chicken chain Popeyes — the place with better chicken sandwiches than KFC (but not quite as good as Shake Shack).
Monday night the Timberwolves were on a back-to-back and Edwards struggled, scoring nine points on 3-of-15 shooting. After the game, Edwards owned it and said he needed to be better on the second night, but Karl-Anthony Towns called him out on a reason he thinks Edwards struggles on back-to-backs.
Karl Anthony Towns on Anthony Edwards performance tonight #Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/tdSC084Yu9
— Wolves After Dark (@WolvesAfterDark) October 25, 2022
“Maybe I could do a better job of teaching him how to take care of his body, diet and everything. That’ll be on me. I know you all think it’s funny up here when he talks about Popeye’s and all that s***. That doesn’t make me happy to hear. We’re high-level athletes.”
Popeye’s jumped in and basically subtweeted KAT.
Good luck to every high level athlete who eats Popeyes regardless of what their teammates say 🏀
— Popeyes (@Popeyes) October 27, 2022
Well played, Popeye’s.
What Edwards is doing is relatively common around the league — and something most of us can relate to. Personally, when I was 21, I could eat fast food burgers or tacos, have some french fries, down a few adult beverages, and my body would bounce back the next day. As I’ve aged, that has not been the case (to put it kindly) — and for professional athletes that timeline is accelerated. It is common for players three or four years into the league to get religion on monitoring and improving their diet as they look for ways to extend their careers (and get the next big payday).
To borrow what Larry Nance Jr. told Zion Williamson about his body and diet, “You’ve been given a Lamborghini. You don’t put the cheapest gas in a Lambo, you know?”
Whether Towns should have sent that message in such a public forum is a leadership debate. Towns is learning how to take on that role, too.
What Edwards can do was on full display Thursday when he hit five 3-pointers on his way to 34 points and sparked a 134-122 win over those same Spurs.
Anthony Edwards was on FIRE in Q1 of the @Timberwolves win draining 5 three-pointers on his way to 34 PTS!
— NBA (@NBA) October 27, 2022
🐺 @theantedwards_: 34 PTS, 9 AST, 2 STL, 7 3PM pic.twitter.com/enfzWU4vi9
The question now is where did Edwards go for his postgame meal?