The intensity of NBA rivalries often leaves fans pondering their long-term impact on personal relationships. Their concerns grew amid rumors of a potential beef between the Western Conference rivals, Anthony Edwards and Domantas Sabonis. The tension peaked shortly after, prompting Sabonis to address the speculations directly.
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The rumors surfaced last Monday during the premiere of Netflix’s latest sports series, ‘Starting 5’. Ant and Sabonis were featured in this documentary and subsequently attended the event. What followed raised eyebrows among NBA fans.
Although the All-Stars greeted the rest of the cast, they seemingly ignored each other. They even avoided making eye contact in the moments that followed. The drama didn’t stop there. Edwards, who had briefly stood beside Sabonis, suddenly moved to the opposite side before posing for the pictures.
Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis, and Jayson Tatum line up at the Starting 5 premiere. Coming to Netflix October 9. pic.twitter.com/LvZdgjVLBs
— Netflix (@netflix) September 24, 2024
This awkward yet seemingly intentional instance left fans speculating about their beef. Their conjectures were well founded considering the rise of Edwards‘ Timberwolves and Sabonis‘ Kings in the West. Additionally, all three of their last season’s matchups went to the wire, with both players having much to say in the outcomes.
As a result, sports commentator Kay Adams felt compelled to bring this situation up during her latest interaction with Sabonis. On Up & Adams Show, she urged the Kings star to clarify the rumors of his potential beef with Ant.
This caught Sabonis by surprise. He claimed to be unaware of these speculations surrounding his relationship with Edwards. The 28-year-old even insisted on being on great terms with the Timberwolves youngster. He stated,
“I have no idea. I was gonna say that’s the one I get along with the best out of everyone. I don’t know what happened at the premiere that they thought that.”
This puts to bed the notion of any beef between these stars. After all, Sabonis spoke highly of Edwards throughout the discussion.
What did Sabonis say about Edwards and the rest of the cast?
The documentary series showcased the journeys of five NBA All-Stars and their respective franchises throughout the past season. Alongside Edwards and Sabonis, the show featured heavyweights like LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, and Jimmy Butler. For the Kings star, this was consequently a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
However, this didn’t stop Adams from putting him in the hot seat. She asked Sabonis to name the toughest competitor among the rest of the four cast members. In response, the Kings center refused to single anyone out and put them all under the same bracket. He said,
“You wanna always go against the best and those guys are the best. As an athlete and competitor, that’s what you wanna do.”
This feeling was undoubtedly mutual. After all, James had previously praised Sabonis’ power and on-court intelligence. When Adams brought it up, the Kings star couldn’t help but express his gratitude for the compliment. He said,
“It’s a really cool feeling. I grew up watching LeBron and he is still there but getting the respect from your peers on a national level is something really cool. It just motivates you to keep working harder and working on your craft.”
This adds to the uniqueness of the show and justifies the early success it is enjoying. This could prompt Netflix to retain this cast as fans are already eager to see the next season of the documentary.
