Anthony Edwards will return to Atlanta as an Olympic gold medalist. Edwards teamed up with NBA legends LeBron James, Steph Curry, and his childhood idol Kevin Durant to win the Olympic gold medal in Paris for Team USA.
Edwards, 23, previously competed in the USA 2023 FIBA World Cup team and was named to the All-Star Five and was also on the 2021 USA Select Team.
Raised in Southwest Atlanta, Edwards gained notoriety as a high school standout during his career at Therrell High School and Holy Spirit Prep before enrolling at University of Georgia. After his freshmen season at UGA, Edwards declared for the NBA Draft in 2020 and was selected No.1 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Therrell High, a member of the Atlanta Public School system, has often made news headlines due to negative incidents that occurred on campus. But Edwards helps to shine a new light on the school.
The Atlanta City Council honored Edwards with a post on social media following Team USA’s gold medal victory: “Congratulations to Atlanta’s own Anthony Edwards and Team USA Men’s Basketball on capturing the gold medal!. From Therrell High School to UGA, your dedication and talent bring immense pride to our city and inspire countless young athletes.
Atlanta is proud of you and celebrates this incredible achievement!”
Edwards was also raised in the Oakland City community, a neighborhood in Southwest Atlanta with a historic high crime rate that’s currently enduring some gentrification.
On Sept. 24, 2023, Edwards returned to Oakland City to launch his first signature shoe, the AE 1.
The event featured Anthony Edwards training young athletes at the AE5 Basketball Camp, giving them the first peek at the AE 1, and paying tribute at his childhood home where he presented the new sneaker to his grandfather. There was also a reveal of a mural that featured his late mother and grandmother. They both passed when Edwards was just 14.
Edwards celebrated the launch with family and friends of the community with a grand entrance accompanied by a marching band where Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman, State Representative Park Cannon, City Council members; Jason Dozier and Matt Westmoreland joined Eric Wise, global GM of adidas Basketball. Lil Baby, who was also raised in Oakland City, performed.
Edwards’ success on a global scale will bring a new form of hope to the kids who are raised in Oakland City and attend Therrell High. His confidence was never deterred by his environment. In fact, Anthony Edwards used his past tribulations as motivation to propel himself to the highest level.
If a kid from Southwest Atlanta can beat the odds and impact the world, there’s an opportunity for others to believe in themselves and do the same.
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