Meet the breakout star of the new Netflix NBA series

MInnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards makes his first appearance in From 5, The new docuseries about the exploits of NBA players debuts on Netflix on October 9, just before the end of the first episode. And it's a great intro: His blue Lamborghini revs up in the garage of his home in Minneapolis. “I don’t look up to anyone in the league right now, not at all right now, yeah, not in the slightest,” Edwards said. This happened after the producers spent a lot on it Starting with 5 Opening part to prove the greatness of LeBron James, one of the few high-profile protagonists of the series (Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum, Domantas Sabonis and Edwards are the others). “Yeah, I want to cook LeBron one on one, who doesn’t? If you say you don’t, you don’t want to compete.”

Similar to Edwards' Lambo, Staring 5 is now switched off and running.

The acclaimed documentaries, produced by Maverick Carter – James' long-time business partner, Barack and Michelle Obama, and Peyton Manning, among others, feature standout moments with their other characters. James, for example, reflecting on his son Bronny's cardiac arrest in the summer of 2023, Butler coping with his father's death, Tatum bonding with his son Deuce, and Sabonis reflecting on a completely unjustified rejection of an All-Star game speaks.

Still, the unfiltered Edwards – known in Minnesota and beyond as “Ant-Man” or just “Ant” – is the star of the series.

Entering his fifth NBA season, the talented Timberwolves guard has earned comparisons to none other than Michael Jordan thanks to his acrobatics and explosiveness. It's never been fair to burden a young phenom with the label of “next Jordan.” But Trishtan Williams, one of the series' directors who spent last season watching Edwards behind the scenes, doubles down on the Jordan conversation. At just 23 years old, Edwards is already a two-time All-Star and led Minnesota to the Western Conference Finals; He won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team in Paris this summer. And he's still a work in progress.

“He’s going to be the next Michael Jordan,” Williams says. “He is a machine. He doesn’t mind training all day.”

Williams calls Edwards a “dream figure” because of his quotability, charisma and willingness to give viewers a glimpse into his life beyond the basketball court. From Edwards' mouth to your ears, here are seven Edwards statements From 5 which give you a taste of the complete Ant experience.

“To be honest, I don’t like dunking at all because it hurts… But I like dunking on people. I want the fans to just say, “Oh, damn, we couldn’t stop him tonight.”'”

What exactly is painful when diving? Maybe Edwards' arm is clanging against the rim because he's so high up? Well, at least he enjoys making posters for his opponents. At the beginning of the second episode there is a montage of Ant's greatest aerial hits: he uses unfortunate defenders as a landing spot. His legs spread a poor Toronto Raptors player: it was embarrassing for the guy. Edwards can fly over people. He is a ridiculous person in the best sense of the word.

“I've never packed my clothes before, so why start now? You know what I mean?”

According to the statement, the responsibility for packing Ant for road trips falls to his Uncle Drew From 5. While Edwards snores in his bed, Drew stuffs five outfits into a suitcase and stows his nephew's video game gear in another piece of luggage. Edwards says he doesn't support his own stuff because he inevitably forgets important things. Or fold them.

Plus, Edwards insists that Drew seems to be enjoying the task. “I think he likes OCD or something,” Ant says.

“I look like Lamont Sanford and son. Eddie Winslow by Family matters.”

Ant is a sitcom historian! In this scene from Episode 2, Edwards visits his longtime barber Nono in Atlanta while the T-Wolves are in town to play the Hawks. (Edwards grew up in Atlanta). He looks in the mirror and chirps at Nono; While it's hard to see the resemblance between Edwards and Demond Wilson, the actor who played Lamond Sanford – the son – on the popular 1970s sitcom, the call from Eddie Winslow is hysterical: Edwards is a real looker for Darius McCrary , who played the eldest child An Family matters. (Erkel was the neighbor).

Despite Edwards' protests and contradictions, Nono objectively does a good job on his hair. Even though the Wolves later lose to Atlanta, putting a damper on Ant-Man's home run, you can't blame Eddie Winslow for that.

“Playing a video game is vital to me. It's the one thing I do most besides playing basketball. I’m in love with the video game.”

Edwards' affection for Fortnite wouldn't be a problem unless it's Thanksgiving Day and the family is gathered at Ant's home in Minnesota. Edwards acts like a rude host: he's holed up in a room, staring at a screen and wearing gamer headphones on his ears. “I'm going to fucking kill him,” Edwards' sister says. Everyone gets hungry.

However, as soon as Ant leaves his cave, he's all in: piling food on his plate, fooling around with the kids, singing songs with his sister and others. It's a place you want to be on Turkey Day.

“I want to play in the NBA for a very, very long time. That's all I want to do. I want to start eating better and building better habits. That's why I think it's super important to take care of your body. …The domino is here?”

Oh ant! From 5 features a spit-inducing moment at the start of the third episode, in which Edwards waxes poetic about the importance of taking care of your body before devouring delivery pizza. “With tuberculosis. Great body. “Great body,” Edwards says as he bites into a piece. The video games, the junk food: The series makes it clear that Ant is still a child, which is one of the reasons he's so alluring. If he develops better habits like the older LeBron, who knows how high Ant can rise?

“To be named an All-Star is amazing. Because if you don’t do it, why are you doing it?”

Nicolas Batum played in the NBA for 16 years. He has won two Olympic medals for France. Over the course of his career, he has earned a salary of almost $200 million. CJ McCollum has amassed more than $215 million in career earnings over his 11 seasons, won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award in his third season, established himself as a valuable NBA scorer, and assumed a leadership role as president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA ). In any case, Batum and McCollum — not to mention the hundreds of other players like them throughout history — have had fruitful and productive careers.

In fact, it's difficult to imagine that many players who made it to the NBA would regret their career path. The fact that Batum and McCollum never made an All-Star team shouldn't raise the question, “What are you doing this for?”

Although Edwards' perspective may seem somewhat distorted, it is worth looking at it from another perspective. That all-star determination might be what makes Ant so special.

“I couldn’t put my shit on. Shit. I was in a hurry.”

At the beginning of the seventh episode of Start five, Edwards left his game against the Sacramento Kings early to rush to a hospital in Minneapolis to be in the delivery room with his girlfriend, Jeanine Robel, as she gave birth to their daughter, Aislynn. He runs from an SUV to the hospital, shirtless and pants hanging down to his waist. “In real time, watching him pull himself together was an event,” says Williams, who filmed Edwards from the game to the birth of his daughter.

Fatherhood marked the latest milestone in Ant-Man's maturation. “I want people to know that you can see him grow and that there will be a different athlete coming this season,” Williams said. “Unfortunately I have no chance of following him. Because it will definitely be a special year for him.”