Sports
How Anthony Edwards built that new ‘super pretty’ jumper: ‘Make ’em respect it’
SAN FRANCISCO — If shooting is an art form, then Chris Hines is a sculptor of gilded frames. A basketball craftsman. A steward of strokes.
As an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, he watches his latest masterpiece from the sideline: the shooting of Anthony Edwards.
“The crazy thing now, and it sucks for me,” Hines said, “I know when it’s not going in. So I’m watching from the bench like, ‘Damn it!’ as soon as it leaves his hands.”
His pupil doesn’t have such issues.
“I think I’ma make that b—- every time. I’m not gon’ lie,” Edwards said, flashing that soda-commercial smile from the visitors locker room at Chase Center on Sunday.
Embedded in the braggadocio is evidence of his sophistication. To be clear, Edwards can feel when his form goes awry and a miss is likely. But he’s gotten his mechanics to a point where he doesn’t feel that often.
“The majority of the time,” he said, “when it leaves my hand, I’m like, ‘Damn, that b—- felt good.’ Because I’ve been working on it, man. I’m not even being funny. I’ve been working on my trey ball so much. … I’m happy where it’s at.”
Behind all of his flair, Edwards’ diligence is visible in his form. Though his magnetism suggests superstardom comes easy, his vastly improved shooting underscores a maniacal work ethic.
This art has functionality. Edwards left the Bay Area this week — after splitting a two-game series at the Golden State Warriors — with the most made 3-pointers in the NBA at 103, and his 241 attempts were one behind the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum for the most 3s taken as of Tuesday morning. Just over a quarter of the way through the season, Edwards is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league — a potent counter to his reputation for attacking the rim.
But do not miss the aesthetics of his polished jumper. Appreciate the artistry of Edwards, the engineering of Hines.
It perhaps goes missed because of Edwards’ highlight dunks and viral quotes. But he has developed quite the picturesque shot.
“Hell yeah,” Edwards said. “Super pretty. Shout out to C. Hines.”
3rd player in NBA history to hit 100 threes in first 23 games.
special. 🐜 pic.twitter.com/S9JCNRq95s
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 9, 2024
The springs hidden in his legs are already alluring. He just floats, or so it seems, as if time slows when he’s in the air. Edwards rising for a jumper looks as if something cool is unfolding. He has already developed a classically attractive midrange.
The mechanics of his jumper have gotten much cleaner. It’s an efficient transition from pickup to release. Smooth. Effortless. Contrary to the shot of typical leapers, who reach the peak of their jump before unfurling something clunky. Edwards has worked on his form until it’s one fluid motion, consistently replicated, capped with a portrait-worthy follow-through and a snap of the net.
Ant-Man has authored another avenue for awe. One of the league’s most captivating players added to a bag of brilliance already brimming with personality.
“It’s not the prettiest,” he declared, giving the nod to Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. “They’ve got some pretty-ass jumpers. I’m not trying to have the prettiest jumper. I just want it to go in. Yeah, it looks good. But as long as it goes in, it looks better.”
However, beauty comes with a cost. For Edwards, it was paid through a process as methodical as it has been relentless.
Hines and Edwards pieced it together as a long-term project. Like so much with Edwards, his capacity was obvious. The talent drips off him like Jheri curl juice. The last four years were dedicated to harnessing his all-world abilities, as will be the next 10 years.
Edwards resisted at first. Some days, he would despise Hines, the torturous teacher.
“He hated me,” Hines said with a proud smile. “From the beginning. He’s like, ‘C. Hines, you not finna change my game.’ I’m not trying to change your game. Let me fine-tune it, and you’ll be fine.”
Chris Hines looks on while Anthony Edwards warms up before a November game against the Phoenix Suns. Edwards credits Hines for the improvement in his shooting form. (David Sherman / NBAE via Getty Images)
Hines earned Edwards’ trust by not changing the canvas but appreciating it. Edwards often heard what he couldn’t do, how he had to change — people steadily telling him how to paint his game. Hines instead affirmed Edwards only needed refinement, not reconstruction. They went to work on the structure, framing his shot around the game that made him special.
Hines began by cleaning up Edwards’ strengths. His handle. His finishing packages. His footwork. His touch at the rim. Those were foundational elements on which to build.
“He already had a pretty decent, solid, strong shot,” Hines said. “We just wanted to tighten up everything around his shot. Small stuff. … How is he picking up into his pocket? Is it clean? How do you find the laces without looking for ’em? Small things of that nature. So tightening all that stuff up, it’s been really fun to watch the process.”
The shots are too incessant to be counted, the hours too blurred to be logged. Shooting is a meticulous craft. It’s feel and form. Technical and creative. It remains true to the uniqueness of the shooter while beholding universal laws.
Hines went to work simplifying Edwards’ shooting stroke. First, they had to break his habit of dropping the ball too low. Now, by sheer muscle memory, his process begins with the ball near his navel.
Then they amended his high release. Edwards had a long range of motion, lifting the ball from his crotch to behind his head, creating plenty of opportunity to disrupt the result. The longer one’s form, the harder to replicate.
So by raising the starting point and bringing forward the release point, his motion became more efficient.
Another thing Hines fixed: Edwards’ habit of bringing the ball close to his body, restricting his range of motion. Hines drilled him to keep his elbows L-shaped instead of V-shaped so as not to lose power and flow. Hines ingrained in Edwards the need to keep his elbow over his eyebrows at the top of his form.
The follow-through was another significant component. Edwards now has a pronounced snap of his wrist, as if he’s dipping his hand into the rim. It gives his ball an emphatic spin that splashes the net.
“We be in the gym four or five times a day just shooting,” Edwards said. “Just shooting. Just shooting. So I’ve been trying — trying to perfect it. Because when I came in the league, the main thing was, ‘He could get downhill, but he can’t shoot. He can’t shoot. He can’t shoot.’ So I’ve been trying to knock that off my name for a long time. It’s still kind of on it a little bit, but I feel like I’m trending in the right direction.”
Last month, Edwards sent a voice message to Curry, seeking to glean some off-the-ball wisdom from his Team USA homie. This was after a summer of picking the brain of Durant, his favorite player.
The threat of Edwards’ aggressive drives, which have produced a montage of highlights, prompted defenders to back off him, conceding the jumper to prevent the poster. His rise to an MVP candidate increased the amount of double-teams he faces.
Thus, his next level of growth is being a threat off the ball. The cadence of dribbling into a shot is much different without the rock. Keeping the same form while catching and shooting requires repetition and precision drilling.
Edwards said he wants to shoot well enough for long enough that his pump-fakes get defenders in the air, opening lanes for his drives.
“In order for me to be able to score without the ball,” Edwards said, “I’ve got to be able to shoot. You know what I’m saying? Make ’em respect it. … Just being ready to shoot on the catch, that makes you another threat on the offensive end. Because guys gotta respect it now because I want to catch and shoot. So now if you run me off the line, now I’ma get to where I really want to go, which is downhill.”
This takes thousands of shots, hours and hours, for years and years. Hines didn’t want to rush the process. He was intentional about not skipping steps, mastering a skill before advancing to the next one.
The pursuit of grandeur is antithetical to haste. A masterpiece transcends time by being committed to quality.
A player has to want this. Really want it. For this level of improvement, the grind is inescapable. The amount of work Edwards invests is illustrated when he pulls up. Suspended in air. Fluid mechanics. Pretty rotation. Silky splash. His weakness has become a work of art. You can tell by how it was framed.
(Top illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; photo: Adam Pantozzi / NBAE via Getty Images)
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Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes will be out for the rest of the season as he suffered a torn ACL on Sunday in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, according to multiple reports.
Mahomes’ knee buckled while he was scrambling and as he was getting hit by Chargers defensive end Da’Shawn Hand. He was helped off the field and he limped to the locker room. An MRI reportedly confirmed the extent of the damage.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes grabs his knee after being injured during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
The quarterback wrote a message to fans as word of his injury trickled out.
“Don’t know why this had to happen,” Mahomes wrote on X. “And not going to lie (it) hurts. But all we can do now is Trust in God and attack every single day over and over again. Thank you Chiefs kingdom for always supporting me and for everyone who has reached out and sent prayers. I Will be back stronger than ever.”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid offered a gloomy outlook for Mahomes as he spoke to reporters following the loss.
PHILIP RIVERS THROWS FIRST TOUCHDOWN PASS SINCE 2020 SEASON
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Odafe Oweh (98) sacks Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 14, 2025. (Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images)
“… It didn’t look good,” Reid said when asked whether he knew if Mahomes’ injury was serious. “I mean you guys saw it. We’ll just see where it goes.”
The loss to the Chargers also meant the Chiefs will not be making the postseason. Kansas City made it to the AFC Championship each season since 2018. They made it to the Super Bowl in each of the last three seasons, winning two titles in that span.
Mahomes will finish the season with 3,398 passing yards and 22 touchdown passes.
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Kansas City is 6-8 on the year.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On a day when the Chargers took a big step toward the postseason, the Kansas City Chiefs lost their most important player.
What started in balmy Brazil ended Sunday in the bitter cold of Arrowhead Stadium. The Chargers completed a season sweep of AFC West bully Kansas City with a 16-13 victory that ultimately knocked the Chiefs out of playoff contention for the first time in 11 years.
It was the third-coldest game in Chargers history — 15 degrees at kickoff — and showcased a red-hot defense that paved the way to Los Angeles wins over Philadelphia and Kansas City, last season’s Super Bowl teams, in consecutive weeks.
“This is a ball team,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said, gleeful after his team won for the sixth time in seven games. “A real ball team.”
This Chargers season, which began with a 27-21 victory over the Chiefs in São Paulo, is just the second in the last 13 years in which they beat their division rival twice.
Harbaugh began his postgame remarks on a somber note, wishing the best for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who left the game late in the fourth quarter after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee when he was hit by defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand.
Gardner Minshew closed out at quarterback for the Chiefs, and the game ended when Derwin James Jr. intercepted his final pass. There would be no fantastic finish for the franchise that won the last nine division titles.
“We’ve been going at those guys for a while, going back to Baltimore,” said Chargers edge rusher Odafe Oweh, acquired in a trade with the Ravens this season. “It was long overdue.”
A week after Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals in the win over Philadelphia, he kicked three more against the Chiefs.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes grabs his left leg after sustaining a torn ACL in the fourth quarter.
(Reed Hoffmann / Associated Press)
Oweh had two sacks of Mahomes, and Tuli Tuipulotu had two more. The defense had the Chiefs in a hammer lock, limiting them to 190 yards in the air and a mere 49 on the ground.
Still, the Chargers had to dig themselves out of a hole. They faced a 13-3 deficit late in the second quarter before tearing off 13 unanswered points.
Justin Herbert threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith with five seconds left in the first half to start the comeback. After that it was Dicker and defense for the visitors.
“It was really cool that we were able to close out a one-score game like that,” said Herbert, who said his surgically repaired left hand felt tight in the cold weather but was better, as was his grip on the ball. “How many times we’ve played them and it’s been those one-score games? The defense came up with the turnovers and the stops.”
Kansas City, trailing by three, got all the way down to the visitors’ 17 early in the fourth quarter but the Chargers yet again came up big on defense. Linebacker Daiyan Henley intercepted a third-down pass near the goal line, getting position on running back Kareem Hunt and essentially becoming the receiver on the play.
“I was surprised to even see the ball go up in the air, but I had to revert back to my receiver days and get an over-the-shoulder look,” said Henley, who last lined up as a pass catcher six or seven years ago at the University of Nevada Reno. “Eye-hand coordination is something you just have to have in those moments.”
Not everything the Chargers defense did was so smooth. Safety Tony Jefferson was ejected in the fourth quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit that knocked Chiefs receiver Tyquan Thornton out of the game. The call to send Jefferson packing was not made by officials on the field, who flagged him for unnecessary roughness, but by league officials watching from New York.
Earlier in the second half, Jefferson flattened receiver Rashee Rice with another devastating hit, and Rice came after him as the Chargers safety made his way off the field and toward the locker room. Players from both sides intervened.
Chargers safety Tony Jefferson leaves the field after being ejected against the Chiefs on Sunday.
(Reed Hoffmann / Associated Press)
In response to the booing crowd, Jefferson raised both middle fingers, a gesture that likely will draw more attention from the league.
“I apologize for that,” he said afterward. “I’m classier than that. I was just caught up in the moment. Emotions get high. I won’t sit here and act like I’m a perfect man. I messed up when I did that.”
The Chargers (10-4), who finish the season at Denver, have yet to lose an AFC West game. They are 5-0 in those and remain within striking distance of the division-leading Broncos.
It won’t be an easy road. The Chargers play at Dallas next Sunday, then play host to Houston before closing out the regular season against the Broncos.
“I started thinking, this is my favorite ball team I’ve ever been on,” Harbaugh said. “Been on some good ones. None better than this one.
“They’re tight. Fates are intertwined. It’s unselfish. Nothing anyone is doing is for themselves.”
And on this frigid Sunday, that paid some unforgettable dividends.
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Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza became the first Hoosier to win the coveted Heisman Trophy, college football’s most prestigious award.
Mendoza claimed 2,392 first-place votes, beating Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (1,435 votes), Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (719 votes) and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (432 votes).
Mendoza guided the Hoosiers to their first No. 1 ranking and the top seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket, throwing for 2,980 yards and a nation-best 33 touchdown passes while also running for six scores.
Indiana, the last unbeaten team in major college football, will play a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game in the Rose Bowl Jan. 1.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza runs off the field after a game against Wisconsin Nov. 15, 2025, in Bloomington, Ind (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Mendoza, the Hoosiers’ first-year starter after transferring from California, is the triggerman for an offense that surpassed program records for touchdowns and points set during last season’s surprise run to the CFP.
A redshirt junior, the once lightly recruited Miami native is the second Heisman finalist in school history, joining 1989 runner-up Anthony Thompson. The trophy was established in 1935.
NO 2 INDIANA CAPS OFF COMEBACK WIN OVER PENN STATE WITH SENSATIONAL TOUCHDOWN, KEEPS UNDEFEATED SEASON ALIVE
Mendoza is the seventh Indiana player to earn a top 10 finish in Heisman balloting, and it marks another first in program history. It now has had players in the top 10 of Heisman voting in back-to-back years. Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke was ninth last year.
Quarterbacks have won the Heisman four of the last five years. Travis Hunter of Colorado, who played wide receiver and cornerback, won last season.
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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza throws before a game against Wisconsin Nov. 15, 2025, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Mendoza was named The Associated Press Player of the Year earlier this week and picked up the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards Friday night while Love won the Doak Walker Award.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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