He may have played the villain in the smash hit Netflix movie Hustle, but Team USA guard Anthony Edwards is now a hero to basketball fans in Abu Dhabi.
At age 22, Edwards is already one of the NBA’s brightest young players.
But after sending crowds at the Etihad Arena into a frenzy with a masterful 34-point performance as the US team beat Germany on Sunday, Edwards has proven he is “the guy” on a star-studded Team USA roster, according to his coach.
And the best thing for fans in the city? Edwards is coming back.
His NBA team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, take on the Dallas Mavericks at the same Yas Island venue in the two-game NBA Abu Dhabi Games on October 5 and 7.
Edwards’ 12 fourth-quarter points sealed a 99-91 comeback win against a tough German side also stacked with NBA talent, capping off a fantastic Team USA Showcase series in the capital.
“It has been an incredible week. I think everybody has thoroughly enjoyed Abu Dhabi,” said Team USA head coach Steve Kerr after his team overcame a 16-point deficit.
“Anthony Edwards took over tonight – he was incredible. He's unquestionably the guy. He knows it, but now the team knows it, and I think the fans see it. But we see it in practice every day.
“He genuinely believes he's the best player in the gym every single night. And he's such a dynamic young player. I think he's taking a leap.
“If you think about USA basketball over the years, a lot of young players have taken a leap in these World Cup and Olympic competitions and it feels to me like Anthony is taking that leap.”
Team USA will again be favourite for gold when the Fiba Basketball World Cup tips off in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia on August 25.
But it will be the NBA season when eyes will be on Edwards, the No 1 pick in the 2020 draft, with many expecting him to compete for All-NBA or even MVP honours by the end of the season.
For now, Edwards was happy to deflect praise to his USA teammates, including Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who hit three huge three-pointers in the third quarter to make the score 74-71 to Germany and ignite the eventual Team USA comeback.
When asked about his starring role in Abu Dhabi, Edwards said: “I've never played for USA before [this summer], so it's super exciting to put it on [the Team USA jersey].
“That was the most fun I have had in a [while]. We were down about 15 at half-time so this was adversity, fight. This was big-time. We fought to the end. And you know, we came out with the win.
“I told [Haliburton] at half-time, we are all starters [with our NBA teams]. We are kind of the best players on our team or you know, in my case, I got (Timberwolves star) Karl-Anthony Towns, but he is the best player on his team.
“So I told him ‘you have got to go out there and be you. I know you pass the ball but you shoot also’. So he came out in the third quarter and got kind of aggressive and put us back in the game.”
But it was Edwards who had the ball in his hands, and his coach’s trust, with the game on the line in the fourth quarter.
When he returns to the UAE in October, Edwards could well have become not only the Timberwolves’ most important player, but one of the league’s best.
Edwards’ new fans in Abu Dhabi will be hoping so.
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Tu%20Jhoothi%20Main%20Makkaar%20
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FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Saint-Etienne v Montpellier (10.45pm)
Saturday
Monaco v Caen (7pm)
Amiens v Bordeaux (10pm)
Angers v Toulouse (10pm)
Metz v Dijon (10pm)
Nantes v Guingamp (10pm)
Rennes v Lille (10pm)
Sunday
Nice v Strasbourg (5pm)
Troyes v Lyon (7pm)
Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain (11pm)
Results
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
UAE Team Emirates
Valerio Conti (ITA)
Alessandro Covi (ITA)
Joe Dombrowski (USA)
Davide Formolo (ITA)
Fernando Gaviria (COL)
Sebastian Molano (COL)
Maximiliano Richeze (ARG)
Diego Ulissi (ITAS)
The%20specs
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The five pillars of Islam
The%20Specs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Honeymoonish
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Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
Company%20Profile
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Naga
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Youth YouTuber Programme
The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:
- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots
- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing
- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
