“They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had skill back then. [Michael Jordan] was the only one that really had skill.” In the age-old debate of the old generation vs. the new generation, Anthony Edwards made his stance clear with this controversial claim. Sure enough, not everyone appreciated Ant-Man taking a jab at the stars who paved the way as Hall of Famer Magic Johnson responded with a brutal comeback, “I never respond to a guy who’s never won a Championship.”

Being a 5-time champion and arguably the greatest point guard ever, Magic has all the right to defend himself and the era he played in. However, his ‘no-ring dig’ at the Wolves star might be detrimental even to the stars of the previous generation like The Chuckster. Addressing Magic’s comments on The Stephen A. Smith Show, the ESPN analyst understood the Lakers legend’s sentiment but pointed out, “Charles Barkley would not be allowed to talk about guys like Magic Johnson according to Magic Johnson’s rules.”

Yes, Barkley caught strays from Stephen A. because as great a player as he was, a former MVP, he was never able to win a Championship in his Hall of Fame career. While many consider him one of the biggest stars of the ’90s, his opinion would not rank as high as some of the Champions of his era, as per Magic’s logic. Similarly, Stephen A. named players like Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, and more, who were legends in their own rights but missed out on winning a title.

“There’s plenty of dudes that don’t have chips. They got opinions though, and it should be respected,” the analyst added. However, the veteran analyst didn’t just leave the hot topic there. He showered some advice on Anthony Edwards while showing his support.

Stephen A. Smith asks Anthony Edwards to “prioritize” one and only one thing, after the jaw-dropping controversial statement

With Magic Johnson refusing to respond to Anthony Edwards because of his lack of accolades, what does the Wolves star need to do to get the Hall of Famer’s attention? Well, Stephen A. Smith had the answer, “If you’re Anthony Edwards, here’s what you need to do. You need to prioritize winning a chip so you can have a conversation like that with Magic Johnson.”

Although Ant has risen to superstardom in a very short span, the furthest his franchise has ever gone in the playoffs is the West Finals, that too only twice. Meanwhile, Magic won a title and a Finals MVP trophy as a rookie.

via Reuters

While the analyst urged Anthony Edwards to pursue a ring and deemed him his second favorite player to watch behind Stephen Curry, the Wolves star seems to be in no hurry to win it all right away. “I don’t know too many guys who won a Championship super young, besides Kobe. Other than him, everybody took years and years of losing to get there. I just want to keep taking the next step,” he said in a recent interview.

At only 23, he believes there is enough time for him to win a title in the NBA, but does want to get better every year. However, what’s better than a West Finals appearance that he made last season? It’s either making the Finals or winning a title next season. So, with finer margins of error and rise in stakes, the clock might already have begun ticking for Ant-Man. Do you agree?