Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards last season led the charge as the Phoenix Suns fell in the first round in a clean sweep. In a recent Fanatics Fest event, he shared how he felt about what transpired that memorable night, when he helped eliminate his icon, two-time NBA champion, Kevin Durant.
Anthony Edwards had a really fantastic series as he averaged 31.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, 2.0 steals in an average time played of 39.4 minutes in the four games of the series.
I'm not gonna lie. I felt bad a little bit, only because he's my favorite player of all time. I didn't wanna send him home like that. But it happens man, I felt bad.Anthony Edwards said
"I felt bad a little bit, only because he's my favorite player of all time. I didn't wanna send him home like that."
-Anthony Edwards on what it was like eliminating KD in the playoffs 🤣🤝
(via @AliyahFun) pic.twitter.com/CuoLSffUqK
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 17, 2024Furthermore, he has long been an admirer of the Slim Reaper despite their rivalry in the hotly contested Western Conference. That rivalry took a back seat as they both teamed up for Team USA in the just concluded Paris Summer Olympics to bring home gold.
Attention has now shifted as both players are gearing up for the new NBA season and with the T-Wolves hoping to show that last season’s run all the way to the Conference Finals wasn’t a fluke. KD, on the other hand, would want to finally settle the conversation that he can win an NBA title without Stephen Curry as he leads his talented Suns team to title contention.
Anthony Edwards’ long-standing admiration for Kevin Durant
Anthony Edwards has held a well-known admiration for Phoenix Suns veteran forward Kevin Durant. Accordingly, this goes back to when the youngster had the opportunity to watch him close on when Durant plied his trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Well, I went to a game in Atlanta, and it was a Thunder game and Kevin was playing. And I watched him and I was like, 'That's my favorite player.'Anthony Edwards said on the Hoop Collective podcast
This admiration has been a thing of joy as it has seemingly helped the 2020 NBA Draft number one pick learn closely from the veteran, especially during their time together at the just concluded Olympics. Even though Ant-Man took it a step further with the now viral poster dunk during practice.
KD has also proved to be a worthy mentor to the future face of the league as his 16 year-career highlights speaks volume for him. Last season, Edwards averaged 25.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 5.1 APG, compared to Durant’s 27.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 5.0 APG, showing there’s a lot to learn for Edwards.
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