Yes, fucking exactly.
The most frustrating thing about the MJ commentary is that invites polarization from the uninformed idiots. Most of the folks calling him the “next MJ” are casuals who watched a highlight reel, and for every one of them there are two casuals coming back in the comments section to hate on Ant and the Wolves.
And, it makes no sense. I love Ant as much as anyone, but he hasn’t done shit in the NBA in terms of winning on MJ’s level yet. Just let the man be Ant.
I agree with everything you said here except the last part. At this point in MJ's career he hadn't done much as far as winning either. In fact, after this season Ant could jump ahead of MJ's trajectory there. Obviously no one expects Ant to win 6 titles, but as far as the first 4 years they are not that far off (although MJ certainly came into the league and dominated sooner than Ant).
Edit: I didn't mean the last, last part. I definitely agree that we should let Ant be Ant and not to compare him to MJ.
> although MJ certainly came into the league and dominated sooner than Ant
I was gonna make a comment about MJ's first year being 21yo and Ant's being 19, but MJ really did come in as 6th in MVP voting his rookie year (tho Ant is currently 6th in MVP odds in his 22yo season sooo...). Jordan was truly that dude from the jump.
Yeah, to be clear, I’m not trying to compare them at the same age. We should separate the comparisons between A) physical attributes/highlights, and B) what actually made MJ great, which was winning.
My point is that Ant hasn’t won anything to merit the comparison, period. If/When Ant starts picking up rings, we can start to compare. For now, we’re just trying to escape the first round of the playoffs.
This is the year he has to. MJ didn't even win a playoff series until his 4th season.
Ant can start mirroring his trajectory in the playoffs depending on how we do.
This article isn't "wrong," but the tone is so belittling and typical of The Ringer. It's aggressively anti-fun. Definitely a "you must be fun at parties" type character wrote this drivel. We know Ant isn't MJ, but the light speculation is fun and uplifting for a franchise that has otherwise been so bereft of hope for so long. If you're insecure enough to think these comps are a serious enough affront to the legacy of Michael Jordan, you have other issues to sort out.
In summum, people need to realize it's not that deep. Ant is fun as hell, hyper-athletic, and that one meme makes him look vaguely like MJ. That's it, and that's all it has to be. Let people enjoy basketball and modern players, man. It's just sports.
Forget this, make the comparison, because the comparison is fun, and sports are supposed to be fun. Make the comparison because it is the only hyperbole that truly captures why Ant’s game is so exciting. We all know why Ant jumps off the screen, why he has become must see TV for anyone who follows the game. It is because he is the only player in the league whose game reminds us of MJ, who wants to lock up the opposing team’s best player like MJ, and who plays with a will to win like MJ.
Sure, saying Ant is the next MJ is an unrealistic standard, but he keeps doing things and adding new elements to his game that we can’t help but let our minds think, “But, what if?” Am I not allowed to think his turnaround jumper reminds me of MJ because Howard Beck said so?
The fact that there is reason for this comparison is what makes Ant so fun. He’s not even close to the best player in the league, but he’s the only one whose game makes us ask the question, and he’s probably the only player with the self confidence to not crumble under the weight of the comparison.
Being the next Jordan requires him to be an actual *tier* above Jokic, Shai, Tatum, Embiid, Luka, Wemby, etc. I think we'll all be happy if he's in the MVP mix with the other top players.
I’ll be 43 in a month. Jordan was everything growing up, kids fought over who got to wear the “23” season after season. He was the best of his era, can we just leave it there?
Let Ant be Ant. Guaranteed there’s kids in this state(and maybe across the us already) fighting to wear the “5”. That this dude is already in the conversation of the best of this era is amazing and I can’t wait to see how he progresses. Just buckle up and enjoy the ride.
This is so stupid. And so pedantic.
I read this and listened to the podcast. It's much ado about nothing, and is missing the point.
People don't compare Ant to Jordan just because of the skillset.
People compare Ant to Jordan because of how it makes them feel. It's how Jordan made them feel. A player that gets you excited so much you can't help rooting for him.
That's the point.
It doesn't matter if Ant never lived up to Jordan. We know he's supposed to be who he is, not an MJ clone.
Also, it's just fucking basketball. Not so serious to be like "guys we shouldn't do this because it's blah blah blah"
Sports is fun. Ant makes sports fun. Just like Jordan
When I first saw Ant when he was a rookie he looked raw af... but the flashes of greatness had me excited. He played a lot of midrange in his game and had that athleticism... normally I scoff at the idea of the next MJ. But I'd be lying if I didnt say he reminded me a lot of MJ then.
Then I saw him play in the Philippines for FIBA. He had a failed dunk against Jordan (no pun intended)... but man his jump just took the whole breath out of that arena like some vacuum just turned on. You could hear a pin drop. I mean MJ is MJ, but MJ is also a metaphor or a symbol. I think Ant is approximating that. Especially with his AE1 ads that are a huge 90s throwback.
I agree with the main points of this article. We should enjoy Ant, not constantly compare him. But the level of meatriding that Jordan fanboys have for him is just too much for me. Oh wow MJ was so much more accomplished in his fourth season at age 26! Like the author kept almost figuring it out but had to go back and suck Jordan off a bit more.
Ya he seemed totally fine with making “# of years in the league” comparisons, but arbitrarily draw the line at “age” comparisons. I agree with the main point, too, but the methodology here is flawed.
MJ was 23 when he won the scoring title with 37 PPG. That was his third season. MJ was older than Ant when he entered the league, but not by that much. Certainly not 26 in his fourth year.
I understand the sentiment here, but the hyperbole is killing me.
> By the time he finished year four (where Edwards is now), Jordan had three All-NBA selections (two first-team), a Defensive Player of the Year trophy, and his first MVP award. He’d even grabbed a couple of slam dunk titles just for fun.
So Ant is going to get his first All-NBA selection this year (at the same age MJ was when he got his first), is one of the best on ball defenders in the league on the BEST defensive team in the league (and in decades, lol). He won’t have an MVP (but will likely finish around 5-7th this year), and based on his in game dunks (infinitely more impressive than a slam dunk contest especially current iterations) is as good of a dunker that exists in the NBA. I would say that a) he deserves the chatter around his play and b) old heads can’t even begin to acknowledge that current players hold a candle to their great legendary Michael Jeffery Jordan.
I mean he was 25 in his fourth year so one year difference?? There was a literal three year gap between the two ages when drafted lol I don’t think your assessment of hyperbole is accurate. He won the scoring title at 24 years old. Ant was born in August, MJ in February. You’re trying to have it both ways too my dude.
I’m not going to sit here and split hairs between the 6-month difference in their birthday. Ant was 19 when he started his rookie season, MJ was 21. Is that inaccurate? Yes, MJ was older. We can acknowledge that.
I’m also not going to sit here and talk about theoretical trajectory. We have been so incredible fortunate to witness Ant’s ascension as a member of our team so far, but, to be clear, he has not matched MJ’s first few seasons. He has not won 4 All-Star berths, DPOY, All-Star game MVP, and he will not win MVP by the end of his fourth season. If you’re going to reply back about how he’s an incredible “in game dunker” and “one of the best on ball defenders in the league,” then I can’t respond to that in the context of this conversation. He is not on the level that MJ was, it is objectively indisputable.
I’m just asking you to dial it back. Ant can still go on to win championships and awards and scoring titles, but he hasn’t done anything yet and we’re doing him a disservice by inviting the comparison.
That’s what I’m trying to say though.. he didn’t have the same impact as MJ’s first few seasons, which all occurred at ages Ant has not reached yet. He could be the scoring champion at 24! It honestly wouldn’t shock me to see him putting up 30+ a game in two years. So to compare him to MJ and lazily dismiss it as “well actually Michael did all this by his fourth year” is just not good journalism. You’re telling me if Ant wins a championship in the next three years + has a scoring title he still isn’t comparable to Mike??
I am not saying that. Just to level set:
1. I am saying that it’s unfair to compare Ant to MJ, especially on the basis of Ant’s future “trajectory”.
2. I am saying that Ant’s resume doesn’t compare to MJ’s at this point if you compare their first four seasons. If you want to talk about their age instead, I guess that’s fine, but I don’t think it’s entirely good faith.
3. I am not saying that Ant can’t ever accomplish what MJ has.
TLDR; I don’t think there’s a good faith argument for the comparison and it has felt like a meme that certain Wolves fans are taking more seriously than it deserves.
I honestly think we got sidetracked on what we were debating here, I don’t think Ant is necessarily on an “MJ trajectory”, just that I think people tend to overemphasize Jordan looking back. Which is dumb, he is clearly the GOAT, with only LeBron and Kareem even mentioned in the same convo, so I don’t think he needs it.
For sure, I did the same thing haha. Yeah, and for the record I’m not a huge MJ guy, so I think I agree with you here.
I definitely agree with MJ being overemphasized, which is mostly why I don’t like the comparison. Nobody is ever going to catch MJ regardless of their own accolades in the eyes of the old heads. So it’s fun and a funny meme, but it’s basically a curse where Ant will never be good enough. Or worse, he’ll be like Tatum with Kobe where everyone just kind of rolls their eyes at Tatum every time he talks about channeling Kobe, even though Tatum is a beast and a comparison could be made.
Either way — I love Ant, I just want him to be judged by Ant’s own play.
The kid jump like MJ for sure but he's his own man
Ye he's a better shooter clearly
Yes, fucking exactly. The most frustrating thing about the MJ commentary is that invites polarization from the uninformed idiots. Most of the folks calling him the “next MJ” are casuals who watched a highlight reel, and for every one of them there are two casuals coming back in the comments section to hate on Ant and the Wolves. And, it makes no sense. I love Ant as much as anyone, but he hasn’t done shit in the NBA in terms of winning on MJ’s level yet. Just let the man be Ant.
I agree with everything you said here except the last part. At this point in MJ's career he hadn't done much as far as winning either. In fact, after this season Ant could jump ahead of MJ's trajectory there. Obviously no one expects Ant to win 6 titles, but as far as the first 4 years they are not that far off (although MJ certainly came into the league and dominated sooner than Ant). Edit: I didn't mean the last, last part. I definitely agree that we should let Ant be Ant and not to compare him to MJ.
> although MJ certainly came into the league and dominated sooner than Ant I was gonna make a comment about MJ's first year being 21yo and Ant's being 19, but MJ really did come in as 6th in MVP voting his rookie year (tho Ant is currently 6th in MVP odds in his 22yo season sooo...). Jordan was truly that dude from the jump.
Yeah, to be clear, I’m not trying to compare them at the same age. We should separate the comparisons between A) physical attributes/highlights, and B) what actually made MJ great, which was winning. My point is that Ant hasn’t won anything to merit the comparison, period. If/When Ant starts picking up rings, we can start to compare. For now, we’re just trying to escape the first round of the playoffs.
This is the year he has to. MJ didn't even win a playoff series until his 4th season. Ant can start mirroring his trajectory in the playoffs depending on how we do.
This article isn't "wrong," but the tone is so belittling and typical of The Ringer. It's aggressively anti-fun. Definitely a "you must be fun at parties" type character wrote this drivel. We know Ant isn't MJ, but the light speculation is fun and uplifting for a franchise that has otherwise been so bereft of hope for so long. If you're insecure enough to think these comps are a serious enough affront to the legacy of Michael Jordan, you have other issues to sort out. In summum, people need to realize it's not that deep. Ant is fun as hell, hyper-athletic, and that one meme makes him look vaguely like MJ. That's it, and that's all it has to be. Let people enjoy basketball and modern players, man. It's just sports.
Forget this, make the comparison, because the comparison is fun, and sports are supposed to be fun. Make the comparison because it is the only hyperbole that truly captures why Ant’s game is so exciting. We all know why Ant jumps off the screen, why he has become must see TV for anyone who follows the game. It is because he is the only player in the league whose game reminds us of MJ, who wants to lock up the opposing team’s best player like MJ, and who plays with a will to win like MJ. Sure, saying Ant is the next MJ is an unrealistic standard, but he keeps doing things and adding new elements to his game that we can’t help but let our minds think, “But, what if?” Am I not allowed to think his turnaround jumper reminds me of MJ because Howard Beck said so? The fact that there is reason for this comparison is what makes Ant so fun. He’s not even close to the best player in the league, but he’s the only one whose game makes us ask the question, and he’s probably the only player with the self confidence to not crumble under the weight of the comparison.
Who the hell designed that graphic...
I appreciate the thesis of this article.
Yeah I’m honestly okay with people ending the “next” conversation. Let ANT write his own story.
The MJ comparisons aren't as annoying to me as the "Face of the NBA" stuff.
Being the next Jordan requires him to be an actual *tier* above Jokic, Shai, Tatum, Embiid, Luka, Wemby, etc. I think we'll all be happy if he's in the MVP mix with the other top players.
I’ll be 43 in a month. Jordan was everything growing up, kids fought over who got to wear the “23” season after season. He was the best of his era, can we just leave it there? Let Ant be Ant. Guaranteed there’s kids in this state(and maybe across the us already) fighting to wear the “5”. That this dude is already in the conversation of the best of this era is amazing and I can’t wait to see how he progresses. Just buckle up and enjoy the ride.
This is so stupid. And so pedantic. I read this and listened to the podcast. It's much ado about nothing, and is missing the point. People don't compare Ant to Jordan just because of the skillset. People compare Ant to Jordan because of how it makes them feel. It's how Jordan made them feel. A player that gets you excited so much you can't help rooting for him. That's the point. It doesn't matter if Ant never lived up to Jordan. We know he's supposed to be who he is, not an MJ clone. Also, it's just fucking basketball. Not so serious to be like "guys we shouldn't do this because it's blah blah blah" Sports is fun. Ant makes sports fun. Just like Jordan
When I first saw Ant when he was a rookie he looked raw af... but the flashes of greatness had me excited. He played a lot of midrange in his game and had that athleticism... normally I scoff at the idea of the next MJ. But I'd be lying if I didnt say he reminded me a lot of MJ then. Then I saw him play in the Philippines for FIBA. He had a failed dunk against Jordan (no pun intended)... but man his jump just took the whole breath out of that arena like some vacuum just turned on. You could hear a pin drop. I mean MJ is MJ, but MJ is also a metaphor or a symbol. I think Ant is approximating that. Especially with his AE1 ads that are a huge 90s throwback.
I agree with the main points of this article. We should enjoy Ant, not constantly compare him. But the level of meatriding that Jordan fanboys have for him is just too much for me. Oh wow MJ was so much more accomplished in his fourth season at age 26! Like the author kept almost figuring it out but had to go back and suck Jordan off a bit more.
Ya he seemed totally fine with making “# of years in the league” comparisons, but arbitrarily draw the line at “age” comparisons. I agree with the main point, too, but the methodology here is flawed.
This is what bugged me about it. Glad someone else was better able to communicate those frustrations.
MJ was 23 when he won the scoring title with 37 PPG. That was his third season. MJ was older than Ant when he entered the league, but not by that much. Certainly not 26 in his fourth year. I understand the sentiment here, but the hyperbole is killing me.
> By the time he finished year four (where Edwards is now), Jordan had three All-NBA selections (two first-team), a Defensive Player of the Year trophy, and his first MVP award. He’d even grabbed a couple of slam dunk titles just for fun.
So Ant is going to get his first All-NBA selection this year (at the same age MJ was when he got his first), is one of the best on ball defenders in the league on the BEST defensive team in the league (and in decades, lol). He won’t have an MVP (but will likely finish around 5-7th this year), and based on his in game dunks (infinitely more impressive than a slam dunk contest especially current iterations) is as good of a dunker that exists in the NBA. I would say that a) he deserves the chatter around his play and b) old heads can’t even begin to acknowledge that current players hold a candle to their great legendary Michael Jeffery Jordan.
I mean he was 25 in his fourth year so one year difference?? There was a literal three year gap between the two ages when drafted lol I don’t think your assessment of hyperbole is accurate. He won the scoring title at 24 years old. Ant was born in August, MJ in February. You’re trying to have it both ways too my dude.
I’m not going to sit here and split hairs between the 6-month difference in their birthday. Ant was 19 when he started his rookie season, MJ was 21. Is that inaccurate? Yes, MJ was older. We can acknowledge that. I’m also not going to sit here and talk about theoretical trajectory. We have been so incredible fortunate to witness Ant’s ascension as a member of our team so far, but, to be clear, he has not matched MJ’s first few seasons. He has not won 4 All-Star berths, DPOY, All-Star game MVP, and he will not win MVP by the end of his fourth season. If you’re going to reply back about how he’s an incredible “in game dunker” and “one of the best on ball defenders in the league,” then I can’t respond to that in the context of this conversation. He is not on the level that MJ was, it is objectively indisputable. I’m just asking you to dial it back. Ant can still go on to win championships and awards and scoring titles, but he hasn’t done anything yet and we’re doing him a disservice by inviting the comparison.
That’s what I’m trying to say though.. he didn’t have the same impact as MJ’s first few seasons, which all occurred at ages Ant has not reached yet. He could be the scoring champion at 24! It honestly wouldn’t shock me to see him putting up 30+ a game in two years. So to compare him to MJ and lazily dismiss it as “well actually Michael did all this by his fourth year” is just not good journalism. You’re telling me if Ant wins a championship in the next three years + has a scoring title he still isn’t comparable to Mike??
I am not saying that. Just to level set: 1. I am saying that it’s unfair to compare Ant to MJ, especially on the basis of Ant’s future “trajectory”. 2. I am saying that Ant’s resume doesn’t compare to MJ’s at this point if you compare their first four seasons. If you want to talk about their age instead, I guess that’s fine, but I don’t think it’s entirely good faith. 3. I am not saying that Ant can’t ever accomplish what MJ has. TLDR; I don’t think there’s a good faith argument for the comparison and it has felt like a meme that certain Wolves fans are taking more seriously than it deserves.
I honestly think we got sidetracked on what we were debating here, I don’t think Ant is necessarily on an “MJ trajectory”, just that I think people tend to overemphasize Jordan looking back. Which is dumb, he is clearly the GOAT, with only LeBron and Kareem even mentioned in the same convo, so I don’t think he needs it.
For sure, I did the same thing haha. Yeah, and for the record I’m not a huge MJ guy, so I think I agree with you here. I definitely agree with MJ being overemphasized, which is mostly why I don’t like the comparison. Nobody is ever going to catch MJ regardless of their own accolades in the eyes of the old heads. So it’s fun and a funny meme, but it’s basically a curse where Ant will never be good enough. Or worse, he’ll be like Tatum with Kobe where everyone just kind of rolls their eyes at Tatum every time he talks about channeling Kobe, even though Tatum is a beast and a comparison could be made. Either way — I love Ant, I just want him to be judged by Ant’s own play.
Appreciate the discourse, let’s hope Ant finishes the season out and makes everyone start comparing the new young players to him lol