The Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves delivered an exciting Christmas Day showdown that came down to the wire. Kyrie Irving and Anthony Edwards stole the spotlight for their respective teams, with the latter’s impressive 26-point performance securing a 105-99 victory. In postgame interviews, Edwards reflected on the duel with the Mavs’ star guard, Kyrie Irving, and praised him.
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Ant grew up idolizing Kyrie, often sitting with his older brother in front of the TV to watch highlight compilations of the 2016 NBA champion. Now, every time Edwards faces off against Kai, it brings back cherished memories for both him and his brother from their childhood.
“Every time that I play Kyrie me and my brother just talking about like ‘bro we used to sit in front of the TV and just pull up on YouTube ‘Kyrie Irving crossovers’. It’s a dream come true to play against him honestly,” Edwards revealed.
Anthony Edwards on Kyrie Irving:
“Me and my brother used to sit in front of the TV and pull up on YouTube, Kyrie Irving crossovers…it’s a dream come true to play against him honestly.” pic.twitter.com/0ktyEyp9eC
— Dorothy J. Gentry (@DorothyJGentry) December 25, 2024
Irving captivated an entire generation with his mesmerizing ball-handling. This aspect of his game is a key reason why young players like Edwards consider him to be the greatest point guard ever.
“To me he’s the greatest point guard… he knows he’s my favorite point guard of all time.”
Ant with BIG props for Kyrie after battling pic.twitter.com/AbBWAGOdez
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2024
Despite Edwards’ admiration for Kyrie, the 2024 Western Conference Finals saw a moment of bold confidence from Minnesota’s star. He implied he would take on the challenge of guarding his role model during the series, motivated to prevent Irving from dominating the contest.
Edwards was unable to contain Irving in the 2024 WCF
Ahead of the Timberwolves-Mavericks 2024 WCF series, Edwards spoke about his matchup with Kyrie Irving.
“My matchup [is] going to be Kyrie. So that’s going to be fun. We’re going to see what I can do versus him,” Edwards said.
Unfortunately, it seemed as though the Wolves shooting guard poked a bear with these comments. Irving would average 27 points and 4.6 assists in the series, helping Luka Doncic lead the Mavericks to a 4-1 win.
Despite the constant trash-talking, there was no love lost between the two. Irving has also publicly showcased his admiration for Edwards.
“He’s (Edwards) taking a lot from other people’s games and implementing his. That’s what makes you special. That’s what makes you great. You know, I was watching some film on him yesterday and just seeing him get on his guys while he’s out there. He really wants to win,” Irving said.
The two players have consistently amused the basketball world in their 11 matchups. Now, on 22nd January, they will face off in the 2024-2025 regular season for one final time, leaving fans eager for yet another electrifying duel.
