Carsen Edwards didn’t have a near-death experience Friday night, but he feared for his life nevertheless.
The 7.1 magnitude earthquake that shook Southern California also was felt in Las Vegas, where Edwards and the Boston Celtics were resting on the eve of their NBA Summer League opener against the Philadelphia 76ers. And the force of the quake caused Edwards, who Boston selected with the No. 33 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, to contemplate his own mortality.
“Not to be dramatic, but I really thought I was about to die,” Edwards said Saturday night after his team beat the Sixers, via The Boston Globe’s Nicole Yang.
Carsten Edwards on yesterday’s earthquake: “Not to be dramatic, but I really thought I was about to die.” pic.twitter.com/i5AcVVsLA4
— Nicole Yang (@nicolecyang) July 7, 2019
We only can imagine how folks in Ridgecrest, Calif., (10 miles from the quake’s epicenter) felt during the unexpected rumble and tumble.
As for actual basketball, Edwards dropped 20 points in Boston’s 96-82 win.
Check out some of his highlights:
Carsen Edwards (@Cboogie_3) dropped 20 PTS in his #NBASummer debut! ☘️🔥 pic.twitter.com/2GDb1D6zx9
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 6, 2019
The Celtics surely are thrilled that Edwards didn’t slip through a crack fall deep into the Earth’s crust Friday night.
The Purdue product may be undersized, but he has the kind of personality and unconscious mindset from 3-point range that could make him a fan favorite at TD Garden.