The Minnesota Timberwolves taking down the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs certainly came as a bit of a surprise. But now that reality has set in, many view the series as a passing-of-the-torch moment. Despite falling short in his quest for championship No. 5, LeBron James has been graceful in his defeat, lauding Anthony Edwards and the Wolves for their intense effort.
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Edwards wasn’t always at the top of his game in this series, especially in the Game 5 series-clinching win, but the Timberwolves would likely have been a lottery team without his production this year. He also proved himself as a capable playoff leader after leading Minnesota to the Western Conference Finals last season, which James also praised in a recent episode of Mind the Game.
LeBron shared his belief that one of the best parts of being a professional athlete is being able to pass the torch to the next generation of stars. So when the Lakers-Wolves series was decided, the four-time MVP had a simple message for his 23-year-old opponent: “Take the next step now.”
Edwards will have the opportunity to take the next step — if his team can defeat the Curry-less Golden State Warriors. But considering how much he added to his game and the pointers he picked up from older legends at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Ant-Man is more capable of winning a title now than he’s ever been.
James praised Edwards’ 2023-24 campaign before discussing his growth with the U.S. Olympic team. “And then have a full summer with him in the Olympic team and seeing how great he was, just listening and just soaking in everything from myself to KD to Steph. You could just see he was like a little kid in a candy store,” LeBron recalled.
“[Edwards] was just grateful in that opportunity to be there and for me to tell him to take the next step, you know it doesn’t always mean, ‘Okay, well Western Conference Finals, now you got to be in the Finals,'” the four-time champion stressed. “It’s like, take the next step and just you as a person, as a player, continue to get better.”
LeBron has also appreciated seeing Jayson Tatum take that next step, especially after he managed to lead the Boston Celtics to a championship after several close postseason losses in the years prior. Now, James is seeing Edwards do the same. The three-time All-Star still has a perilous path to his first championship, but he looks prepared now.
Even with LBJ continuing to dominate in his 22nd season, he knows that the time will come when he has to relinquish his status as the face of the NBA. There are several deserving candidates for the crown throughout the league’s generous crop of young talent, but for now, it seems that it’s Anthony Edwards’ title to lose.
