MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves won't start playing as a team until the NBA season opener in October, but you won't have to wait that long to see some of the team's key players competing at a high level.
Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards, fresh off of signing a max extension with the team, will be representing Team USA at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in August.
It's the first FIBA selection for Edwards, who was drafted after Team USA's embarrassing performance in the 2019 world cup.
Ant has continuously improved his game since entering the league as the first overall pick in 2020 and averaged a dazzling 31.6 pointers per game in the Timberwolves playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.
He'll join a young USA Team that also features Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers and Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic.
If Team USA is to win the world cup, they might have to go through one of Ant's teammates on the Wolves.
Three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert will once again be representing his native country of France in the tournament.
Gobert and the French team lost a close game against the USA in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
In his first year with the Timberwolves, Gobert averaged 13.4 points per game along with 11.6 boards per game.
While he may not have the same name recognition as Ant or Gobert, Timberwolves reserve guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker will be representing Canada at the world cup.
He'll join his cousin, and reigning NBA scoring champ, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and reigning NBA champion Jamal Murray on Canada's squad.
On Monday, it was also announced that Timberwolves sixth man Kyle Anderson would play for Team China. According to the Associated Press, Anderson's maternal great grandfather was Chinese, making Anderson eligible to play for China as a naturalized citizen.
The first round of the FIBA World Cup is set to begin on Aug. 25 in Manilla.
Watch more of Minnesota sports:
Watch the latest reports from the KARE 11 sports team in our YouTube playlist:
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
