In this emotional video, we share Ant Edwards' heartbreaking story of becoming an orphan at the young age of 14.
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00:00 While Ant-Man keeps it simple today, his life was once extremely complicated.
00:04 His foundation, his family, was ripped apart at a young age, forcing Anthony to grow up
00:08 early.
00:09 It's hard to believe that someone as light-hearted and positive as Ant Edwards was raised with
00:13 so much heartbreak.
00:14 As a kid, Anthony learned what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.
00:18 After losing three of his closest family members, support system, and home, he didn't let his
00:22 grief and pain consume him.
00:24 He grew stronger.
00:25 This is a story about how a broken home didn't break Anthony Edwards' spirit.
00:28 How he managed to survive and stay on track as a 14-year-old.
00:32 So gather around for story time.
00:34 Ant-Man is a true Southern boy.
00:35 Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, he was raised in an environment that valued community and
00:39 family cookouts.
00:40 Ant-Man made his grandma's job an easy one.
00:43 She had a full plate of steak and rice waiting for his empty stomach on the days he came
00:47 over after practice.
00:48 As a kid, Anthony Edwards seemed to have it all figured out.
00:51 He wanted nothing more than to make everyone around him laugh, beat his brothers in backyard
00:54 basketball, and enjoy nice home-cooked family meals.
00:58 Unfortunately for Anthony, not everyone in his family believed that blood is thicker
01:02 than water.
01:03 Early on in Ant's childhood, his dad, Roger Carruth, walked away from his family for unknown
01:07 reasons, leaving Anthony and his siblings behind.
01:10 While this is the first time he experienced a significant loss in his life, his father
01:13 did leave him with two irreplaceable things.
01:16 His elite, freakish athletic genes, and the nickname Ant-Man.
01:19 A pretty dope nickname if you ask me.
01:21 Just like his son, Roger possessed a God-given athletic ability.
01:24 But everyone around him would tell you he flushed his NBA opportunity down the drain
01:28 due to a lack of effort, a mentality that clearly carried over into his family life.
01:32 But Anthony did not inherit that attitude.
01:34 His personality is the complete opposite.
01:36 Not only is he an absolute dog on the court, but he prioritizes family values above all.
01:41 For Anthony, his pops walking away from the family was an unforgivable offense.
01:45 It left his mother lost and heartbroken.
01:47 Not to mention, the abandonment of his father put a financial burden on the family that
01:51 was almost impossible to overcome.
01:53 Ant-Man, his brother, sister, and mom, Krisha, bounced around from one place to the next.
01:58 Unable and desperate to find a stable home.
02:00 Times were tough, birthdays and Christmas were even tougher.
02:03 Watching his mom struggle to make ends meet and finally find a place for the family to
02:06 live in long term became unbearable for Anthony.
02:09 The toughest part of this experience for Anthony was feeling powerless, unable to provide and
02:13 contribute financially.
02:14 A weight that no middle schooler should ever have to carry on their shoulders.
02:18 Thankfully, Krisha Edwards' struggles would eventually be eased by her mom.
02:22 This grandma surely took the entire family into her home.
02:25 Everyone was under one roof and spirits could not have been any higher.
02:28 Sure, the place was small and it was a tight squeeze for Ant, his three siblings, and his
02:32 mom.
02:33 Ant and his mom even had to share a bed.
02:34 But the family made do with what they had.
02:36 They were grateful that they didn't wake up with an eviction letter taped to their
02:39 front door.
02:40 Instead, they'd wake up to the fresh smell of grandma's waffles and melted butter in
02:43 the morning.
02:44 Ant, his mom, and grandma getting through those financially dark times together forged
02:48 an unbreakable bond between the three.
02:50 They became each other's rock.
02:51 Ant-man especially became really tight with his grandma after he moved into her place.
02:55 Those two are cut from the same cloth.
02:57 Like Anthony, she knew the value of hard work, knowing what it takes to get it out the mud.
03:01 That's why when she walked into the bedroom to find Anthony's writing on the wall with
03:05 Sharpie saying "Future McDonald's All-American" and "Future NBA Player", her pride outweighed
03:09 her frustration.
03:10 Despite how annoying that would be to wash off.
03:13 Knowing how bad Anthony wanted to go pro, she pushed him constantly.
03:16 She'd be on him about being the first one in and the last one out when it came to practice.
03:20 As far as his games go, grandma surely rarely missed a game.
03:23 Being Ant's toughest critic but also his loudest supporter in the stands, she also
03:27 wasn't shy about giving a ref an earful when they deserved it.
03:30 But just like her grandson Anthony, she knew the importance of always smiling.
03:34 To smile through all the ups and downs that life throws at you.
03:37 Even during the darkest days.
03:39 For Shirley, Anthony, and the Edwards family, a traumatic period of their lives began and
03:43 smiling through the pain was never so challenging.
03:45 Ant's mom, Krisha, started enduring a battle with ovarian cancer that couldn't be won
03:49 on her own.
03:50 Thankfully, she had a family that was more than willing to go to war with her.
03:53 Ant's grandma was the perfect person for her to have in her corner because she has
03:57 been fighting the disease tooth and nail.
03:59 She knew how to take care of her daughter on the days when chemo and radiation appeared
04:03 to do more harm than good.
04:05 Everyone in the family played their role to support Krisha Edwards.
04:07 Ant's grandma would put in long hours working at the post office, then to come home and
04:11 take care of her daughter.
04:12 Ant and his siblings were right by their mom's side, ready to help her any which way she
04:16 needed it.
04:17 Ant and Krisha's grandma prepared dinner in the kitchen, run errands, clean up the
04:20 house, whatever it took to make life a little easier for their mom.
04:23 And every night, Anthony Edwards would sleep right by his mother's side, making sure
04:27 she had a cold glass of water before bed and that she had everything she needed to be comfortable.
04:31 As tirelessly as the family worked, fighting side by side every single day with Krisha
04:36 Edwards as she took on ovarian cancer, eventually cancer did win the battle.
04:40 It was 2015.
04:41 Anthony was in the 5th grade when his best friend left him, his sleeping buddy, his mother.
04:45 Everyone in the house was suffering from tragic grief, but the loss left Anthony absolutely
04:49 crushed and heartbroken.
04:51 Anthony's bond with his mother was special.
04:53 These were the exact words Ant used to describe his relationship with his mom.
04:57 She was the best woman ever.
04:58 I was her favorite, so I slept in bed with her.
05:00 She'll bring me food late at night when she got off work, all type of stuff like that.
05:04 If I'm getting into it with my siblings, she'd be like, "Y'all don't touch my
05:07 baby."
05:08 Ant-Man was down, but his grandma was able to pick him back up with what strength she
05:11 had left.
05:12 After fighting not only her own battle with cancer, but her daughter's battle as well,
05:16 she didn't have much left to give.
05:18 Whatever life she had left in her, she gave to taking care of Anthony and his siblings.
05:22 Every ounce of emotion and energy left in her body went towards raising Anthony and
05:26 the kids, keeping the family together, being their rock, and a shoulder to cry on.
05:30 Tragically, this period didn't last long.
05:33 Anthony's grandma Shirley lost her battle with cancer soon after her daughter, Ant's
05:37 mom passed away.
05:38 Anthony lost both his mom and grandma within 8 months of each other when he was just in
05:42 the 8th grade.
05:43 The blow was devastating.
05:44 Not only did Anthony Edwards lose his favorite people in the world, his entire foundation
05:48 collapsed.
05:49 His support system vanished.
05:50 In a matter of 8 months, Anthony went from being a carefree and happy kid to having no
05:55 parents and wondering where he was going to sleep and how he was going to get his next
05:59 meal.
06:00 Who was left to raise him and pay the bills.
06:01 No teenager should ever have to go through this, but thankfully, Anthony was never truly
06:05 alone.
06:06 While cancer won the battle between his mom and grandma, it wouldn't defeat Ant-Man.
06:10 He had some heroes that stepped in to save his life from a dark path.
06:13 Ant's brother Antoine and his sister Antoinette came together to get custody of Anthony and
06:18 finished raising their little brother as a unit.
06:20 When Ant's big brother and sister were granted custody of him, they said listen, we're
06:24 gonna stick together and get through this.
06:25 The two didn't make a high income, but they earned enough to get by and make a house a
06:29 home for Anthony.
06:30 Once Anthony had a stable roof over his head, once again, his entire focus, his purpose,
06:35 became basketball.
06:36 Ant Edwards made basketball his religion.
06:38 Other than family, the only thing on his mind was his NBA dream.
06:42 He lived eight breathed hoops, putting all his blood, sweat, and tears into the game.
06:46 Literally.
06:47 He wore the number five after his mom and grandma died to honor them both, because both
06:50 women died on the fifth of the month.
06:52 Their spirits kept him going on the days when Anthony had nothing left in the tank.
06:56 In Anthony's words, "She makes me want to get better every day that I get up.
07:00 Like when I go to the gym, for instance, my trainers, they'd be like, 'Come on, keep
07:03 pushing.'
07:04 I'd be telling them, 'Y'all ain't gotta be telling me that.
07:06 My mom and grandma keep telling me that every day.'"
07:08 Practicing what his grandma preached, he smiled throughout the entire process.
07:13 And soon enough, there was a lot he had to smile about.
07:15 It was clear that his hard work paid off after he earned offers from Kansas, Kentucky, and
07:19 North Carolina.
07:20 The NBA factories that could print Anthony's ticket to the league.
07:23 But leaving his hometown, his family behind was never in the cards.
07:27 Especially after his sister was pregnant with his nephew.
07:30 Ant-Man got this far with his family, he wasn't going anywhere without them.
07:33 Ant brought out his newly born nephew wearing George Bulldog's gear in front of the cameras
07:37 when he announced his decision.
07:38 Passing up on the bigger programs didn't hurt Ant's NBA chances one bit.
07:42 When the Timberwolves drafted Anthony Edwards first overall in 2020, he had giant paintings
07:47 of his mom and grandma next to each shoulder.
07:49 Just like how they were by Anthony's side.
07:51 Today, Ant-Man not only honors his late mom and grandma by being one of the best young
07:55 stars in the NBA, but he also honors them by being an exceptional role model and human
08:00 being.
08:01 Anthony Edwards makes an effort to support kids in dire need.
08:03 Ones that suffered a relatable trauma to Anthony.
08:06 In 2021, a fan named Tayden Johnson managed to escape from a fire that took the lives
08:10 of his mom, sister, and grandma.
08:12 At 12 years old, Tayden lost his family.
08:14 Anthony Edwards heard about the horrifying tragedy and was more than willing to offer
08:18 support.
08:19 He personally FaceTimed Tayden, offering his condolences and then connected with him.
08:23 He shared his experience losing his mom and grandma, and told Tayden that if he could
08:26 make it after losing them, so could Tayden.
08:29 Among the many things Ant said to Tayden, one of them were, "I lost my mother.
08:32 I also lost my grandmother at a young age, and look where I am at now.
08:36 Never give up.
08:37 Always give 110% to where you eventually want to go.
08:40 Just follow your dreams, and nothing will stop you from doing that."
08:43 Anthony Edwards gives 110% to the game and his family every single day.
08:47 Looking at his results, you can say that Ant has plenty to smile about.
08:51 Being one of the league's most electrifying young stars, a fan favorite, a backbone for
08:54 his family, and a role model for kids across the country, it's safe to say that mama
08:58 and grandma Edwards must be looking down on their boy with a smile on their face.
09:02 I'm James and I hope you enjoyed Story Time.
09:05 Make sure you subscribe to our channel and hit that bell to watch weekly stories about
09:08 your favorite athletes that you want to hear but never knew.