This season has been troubling for Anthony Edwards. From a performance side of things, the Timberwolves’ stellar guard has been exceptional. However, his mouth has caused him severe losses. Most recently, the league fined him $100,000 for using profanity in a live TV interview. But no matter the past punishment, Edwards’ zeal and character won’t change. Especially after their series victory against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Even in normal circumstances, Ant-Man enjoys the high of competing on the biggest stage. But as the underdogs, he savored the success more than usual. Particularly, he stood in front of LeBron James and praised Rudy Gobert for his destructive 27 points and 24 rebounds performance to extinguish the Lakers’ hopes.
“Big Ru, you played your ass off tonight. Congratulate my m*********ing teammate!… Hell yeah, Gobert. All that s**t they’ve been talking about. Rudy got 30 tonight,” the Timberwolves’ cornerstone said in a quiet Crypto.com Arena.
But Edwards’ jubilation didn’t just last as the Timberwolves players bumped chests and celebrated them advancing to the second round. From the time the series began, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe has been creating his infamous ‘Lakers in 5’ system. Anthony Edwards seems to have taken that personally.
Nov 7, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts after scoring against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
As his celebrations continued even when exiting the Arena, Ant-Man was caught mocking the NFL legend. “Ant-Man, Batman, Superman, Lakers in 5. S**t,” he said before heading off. And although Edwards didn’t perform at his best during Game 5, he was the decisive force behind the Wolves’ victory against the Lakers.
During the first-round series, Anthony Edwards averaged 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.2 assists to lead the Wolves in their 4-1 victory. It included an incredible 43-point display in Game 4, where he scored 16 points in the fourth quarter in their 113-116 victory.
LeBron James wants Anthony Edwards to ascend
Edwards’ vivacity truly came to the surface after he trash-talked Kevin Durant, his childhood idol, when he faced him in the postseason last year. So if he can do that to his idol, Edwards wasn’t going to spare LeBron James. The series featured several moments of Ant-Man challenging James during possessions, battling with every muscle in his body.
Hence why the victory felt sweet. The Wolves had earned it for themselves, emerging as the dominant, although bearing the underdog mantle on their head.
But despite Edwards’ heavy trash-talking at the end of Game 5, the 40-year-old was humble. LeBron James went over to congratulate every player from the Timberwolves. As he stopped at Edwards, LeBron James had a message for the 23-year-old. “Make that next step now. Come on,” he told the explosive shooting guard.
Approaching his retirement date sooner rather than later, James seems to be leaving the NBA in a better place than it was in 2003. As a senior player, he has acknowledged Anthony Edwards to be a future icon. Just this year, he defended Ant-Man for not wanting to be the face of the league.
The duo spent an entire summer together playing for Team USA and bagging gold for their country. During that trip, the four-time NBA champion told former POTUS Barack Obama “Ant-Man the truth,”. And even though he would have preferred to walk out as a winner of the series, LeBron James is rooting for Edwards to continue soaring in his basketball journey.
The post Anthony Edwards’ Unaffected by NBA Punishment as Leaked Footage Proves Verbal Attack on LeBron James appeared first on EssentiallySports.