Jrue Holiday: Anthony Edwards was USA's Biggest Trash-Talker at Olympics, Not Durant

The United States men's basketball team was loaded with veterans and future Hall of Famers such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry at the Paris Olympics, but it was one of the young stars who turned heads when it came to talking trash.

"Anthony Edwards, 100 percent, 100 percent," Jrue Holiday said Wednesday when asked who the biggest trash-talker was on the team. "He's a great player and you'll see him trash-talking for a very, very long time."

Most 23-year-olds likely would have taken a rather reserved approach during their first Olympics, especially on a team with so many all-time greats.

Edwards isn't most 23-year-olds.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star didn't hesitate to talk trash during the 2023-24 NBA season either, especially as he was leading his team to the Western Conference Finals in the playoffs. Most notably, he talked plenty of trash to Durant during the first round as his Timberwolves swept the Phoenix Suns.

"I respect that," Durant told reporters when discussing Edwards' trash talk. "Players who come out there and they say something, they're going to prove it. That's what he did in that series. He played his ass off. You gain so much respect. We always had respect for him, but it went to another level playing against him and seeing him compete."

Compete he did during the Olympics as a spark off the bench for the Americans.

Edwards averaged 12.8 points per game across the tournament and notably poured in 26 points in a win over Puerto Rico, which made him the youngest player to score 20 or more points in an Olympics game since 2008.

He backed up his trash talk, which is exactly what Durant praised him for after the playoffs.

Expect more of the same when the Timberwolves start the regular season.