Anthony Edwards family tree: How brother, sister raised Timberwolves star after deaths of mom, grandma

Anthony Edwards has blossomed into one of the NBA's biggest stars. 

The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft has slowly ascended into stardom, leading the Timberwolves to multiple playoff series wins and already earning a few All-Star bids by age 23. As one of the youngest and most talented players in the league, many have put expectations on Edwards to be one of the faces of basketball once stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry retire.

Throughout his young career, "Ant Man" — a nickname Edwards told ESPN in 2020 that his father gave him as a child — has outwardly expressed the support he feels from his family and how it motivates him.

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Here's everything to know about Edwards' family tree, from his mother and siblings to his own children.

Anthony Edwards family tree

Here's a look at Edwards' full family tree.

Anthony Edwards' mom

Edwards was born to his mother, Chrisha Yvette Edwards, and his father, whose name is not known, in August 2001. 

ESPN's profile of Edwards in 2020 described how his mother would "make it out for every game" as he grew into a standout athlete, being both his toughest critic and a cheerleader. When Edwards was drafted to the NBA in 2020, he had portraits of his late mother and grandmother sitting directly beside him as his name was called.

In a feature to go alongside his draft selection, Edwards told ESPN that his mother was "always happy" and "nobody could ever make her mad."

Anthony Edwards' grandma

Edwards' grandmother was Shirley Edwards, someone he's said was one of his biggest supporters as a young athlete. When he was drafted by Minnesota, an ESPN feature included Edwards saying his grandmother "kept everything together."

Edwards' mother, Yvette, and his grandmother, Shirley, both died of cancer over an eight-month span in 2015 when Edwards was 14. He spoke to ESPN about losing his mother and grandmother in 2020.

"There are only two people who are going to get my all, but that's over with," Edwards told ESPN. "Nobody's going to get it."

When he was drafted and spoke about his family to ESPN, the basketball star said, "Everything I do, I wish they [were] here to see it," referring to his mother and grandmother. 

"My angels, my mom and my grandmother, they keep me uplifted. They wake me up every day with a smile on my face," Edwards told ESPN. "I just keep going for them."

Edwards has worn the No. 5 on the court throughout high school, college and the NBA to honor his mother and grandmother, 247Sports first reported in 2020. He chose the number because both died on the fifth of the month. He told 247Sports before being drafted to the NBA that his mother and grandmother's death pushed him harder to succeed.

“That just made me go harder because I know they would want to see me at the top so that made me go harder really that’s all that was,” Edwards told 247Sports. “I already had a chip on my shoulder because nobody really knew who I was but that really drove me to really work hard.”

In December, Edwards was surprised by his grandfather, Ben Edwards, who was attending one of his basketball games for the first time since Edwards was in high school.

"I’m just happy he was here," Edwards said postgame, per the Star Tribune. "My heart was warm when I seen him. That was great.”

Anthony Edwards' siblings

Edwards has three siblings, all of whom are older than him. 

Edwards' older brother, Antoine, and sister, Antoinette, took guardianship of him and helped raise him after their mother and grandmother both died in 2015. In a 2024 episode of the NBA's "Pass the Rock" series, both Antoine and Anthony Edwards spoke about how close the siblings are and how Anthony was raised by his siblings for a few years.

“I just don’t trust people. The people I came in with is the people I’m gonna stay with. I’m not adding no other people to my circle," Anthony Edwards said. “I think that’s the point of having siblings, is to be there for each other."

Antoinette Edwards told The Athletic in 2023 that the siblings' mother and grandmother did a "great job" raising the children. Anthony Edwards added that his sister "kept everything together" after their deaths, and he and his two brothers were "like sheets of paper and she was the staple."

Antoinette Edwards has a son, Jace, that Anthony has also been seen spending time with in the past.

@timberwolves This will be a core memory with Uncle Ant🔥🐺 #minnesota #timberwolves #nba #anthonyedwards ♬ original sound - Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards told GQ in April that it's "probably" his sister when describing where he gets his trash-talking skills from, noting that "when she used to play, she used to talk a lot of trash."

Edwards' other older brother is Bubba Edwards, an aspiring rapper that uses the stage name "bdifferent." His music can be found on Spotify, and per ESPN, Bubba is three years older than Anthony.

It was Bubba that helped inspire Anthony Edwards' choice to play basketball, the Timberwolves star said in 2023. Bubba played basketball first, then Anthony wanted to play because of his brother. Bubba told The Athletic that the brothers used basketball as "a getaway" and "a way to cope and be free, just clear your mind and find some love.”

“I wasn’t really a basketball guy growing up, but watching him, I decided to follow in his footsteps,” Anthony Edwards told The Athletic of Bubba in 2023. “If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be up here. I just want to thank him.”

Bubba Edwards has even taken his musical talents to the same stage as Anthony Edwards: the Timberwolves' home court. He performed during Game 6 of the Timberwolves vs. Nuggets series in 2024 and also took the spotlight at halftime during the 2024-25 season.

— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) January 12, 2025

Bubba Edwards has said that Anthony always supports his music career, saying he constantly "pressures me on sending new songs," per People. Even Kevin Durant has said he listens to "bdifferent," saying in a Boardroom interview alongside Edwards that Bubba's music is "nice" and "he got something with that."

.@theantedwards_ and @KDTrey5 reveal their current playlists 👀 pic.twitter.com/xvR6DEhNUR

— Boardroom (@boardroom) August 20, 2024

Antoine Edwards, Anthony's other older brother, also helped raise him alongside Antoinette. Antoine told The Atlanta-Journal Constitution in 2019 that losing his mother and grandmother helped make Anthony Edwards "stronger" and "turned his game to a whole different level.”

Anthony Edwards' girlfriend

Edwards' girlfriend is Shannon Jackson, who he has been public with since 2020. Jackson has often been courtside at Timberwolves games, and in March 2024, the couple welcomed a daughter, one of Edwards' three confirmed children.

Although her Instagram profile is currently inactive, Jackson has around 120,000 followers on the platform, often posting pictures of her daughter with Edwards and her other son, Krue, whose father is rapper Chief Keef. She also often shares highlights from Edwards' basketball journey, including photos from when she made the trip for the Paris Olympics in summer 2024, per People.

How many kids does Anthony Edwards have?

Edwards is confirmed to have three children with three women. He also has a rumored fourth child with a fourth woman.

His daughter with Jackson, who was born in March 2024, is named Aislynn. Her birth was documented on the Netflix docuseries "Starting Five," as Edwards left a Timberwolves game against the Kings at halftime to be with Shannon as their daughter was born.

After his 43-point game in the first round of the 2025 playoffs facing the Lakers, Edwards said his "little girl" was able to come see him play, referring to Aislynn, helping motivate his performance.

"I wanted to make the most of it. I know she's not gonna remember it, but she's gonna look back at it one day and see she was at the game," Edwards said postgame. "That was what really drove me today."

— NBA (@NBA) April 27, 2025

In addition to his daughter with Jackson, DNA testing has also confirmed Edwards is the father of a child with Ayesha Howard (born October 2024) and Alexandria Desroches (born October 2023). 

Edwards is also rumored to have fathered a child with Instagram influencer DajaBeauty, though there has been no legal battle. The child was born in September 2023. If Edwards is the father, the child would be his oldest.