Isaiah Thomas has suggested that Anthony Edwards has work to do in order to become smart enough to win NBA championships as he hits back at the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ star’s comments about Michael Jordan.

Edwards, nicknamed Ant-Man, had suggested the Chicago Bulls legend was the only player from the mid-1980s to late-1990s with any talent, and that hasn’t gone down particularly well with the likes of the Detroit Pistons legend and other players such as Magic Johnson.

As a result, the two-time NBA champion and 12-time All-Star and 1990 Finals MVP, who had his jersey retired by the Pistons, suggested Edwards actually has to become smarter if he ever wants to win a title.

“He’s a bad boy, but, it takes more than talent to win,” Thomas told Forbes. “There’s a certain amount of chemistry and intellect that goes into winning.

“Very few people win. Very few people have championships. So you can have all the talent. You can jump real high and shoot and do all the things skill-wise. But mentally, can you master this game? And that’s what it takes to be a champion.”

Edwards upsets Magic Johnson

So far, the Timberwolves star has made three playoffs appearances and has a best run of reaching the Semi-Finals in 2024 as the 23-year-old posts career averages of 23.2 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game and 4.1 assists per game as a shooting guard.

He has started the 2024/25 NBA season in fine form by averaging 27.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists but the same cannot be said for the Timberwolves, who find themselves in 11th place in the Western Conference (.500).

But one person who may not be aware of that is Magic Johnson after the ex-Orlando star, who won five NBA championships and three MVPS from 1980-1999, hit back at Edwards by saying he’s unsuccessful.

“I never respond to a guy who’s never won a championship,” Johnson told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. “He didn’t win a college championship; I don’t even know if he won a high school championship.”