How Anthony Edward’s Mom’s Death Drove His NBA Stardom? Lookback at His Inspiring Journey

Anthony Edwards’ mother’s death inspired him to chase greatness in the league. How did the Minnesota Timberwolves star rise from the ashes? Check out his story!

Written by Oindrila Chowdhury , Writer

Published on May 29, 2024 | 06:01 PM IST | 118.9K

Anthony Edwards didn’t let the grief of his mom’s passing demotivate him. Instead, he ran after the NBA dream.

In this Article

Anthony Edwards dons jersey number 5 to honor his late mother and grandmother
Did you know Anthony Edwards pursued a different sport first?

In 2015, Anthony Edwards lost his mother, Yvette. Back then, 14-year-old Anthony was studying in eighth grade. Apparently, the Timberwolves star's mother died after suffering from cancer.

Apart from losing his mom, Edwards' grandmother, Shirley also passed away from cancer. All this happened in a gap of just seven months and it had a profound impact on Anthony Edwards.

Nevertheless, instead of holding onto the grief, Anthony channeled his personal loss to achieve success in the NBA. As per the Timberwolves star, he believes both his mother and grandmother would have wanted to see him reach great heights. And, that's what makes him keep going!

Anthony Edwards dons jersey number 5 to honor his late mother and grandmother

Anthony Edwards wore jersey number 1 during his first three seasons with the team. However, in the 2023-2024 season, the Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard switched to wearing jersey number 5.

It has an interesting connection to the death of his mother and grandmother.

Both Yvette and Shirley passed away on day five. And, that is why Anthony opted for number 5. Kudos to Anthony! It's a lovely way to pay tribute to their memory.

Interestingly, Anthony Edwards wanted to flaunt jersey number 5 ever since he was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, his former teammate, Malik Beasley was unwilling to give up the number 5.

After Malik, the number five jersey was sported by Kyle Anderson. Finally, in August 2023, Kyle agreed to give up number 5 for Anthony Edwards and instead wear number 1.

Did you know Anthony Edwards pursued a different sport first?

It is true! Initially, Anthony Edwards played football. However, after seeing his brothers playing basketball, he followed suit.

While studying at Holy Spirit Preparatory School, the Timberwolves star became a consensus five-star recruit. Next, he attended the University of Georgia where he earned the SEC Freshman of the Year honors.

Finally, on entering the draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Edwards with the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. And, Edwards is certainly living up to the hype. He became an NBA All-Star in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 NBA seasons.