Edwards says beating the world's best players felt more fulfilling.
Anthony Edwards has always been confident, and his performance at the 2026 NBA All-Star Game backed up every bit of it as the Minnesota Timberwolves star scored 32 points across three games, grabbed nine rebounds, and took home the Kobe Bryant MVP Trophy after his Team Stars squad won the round-robin tournament at Intuit Dome.
After the game, Edwards was asked which win felt better between beating the international players on Team World or the veterans on Team Stripes, and his answer was about as honest as you would expect from Ant-Man.
"Probably beating the World Team, yeah," Edwards said. "I mean because they say they the best players in the world. So beating them is the best feeling in the world."
Edwards Showed Up When It Mattered
Edwards set the tone early in the tournament by scoring 13 points in the opening game against Team World and hitting a clutch three-pointer that forced overtime before Scottie Barnes knocked down the game-winner to give Team Stars the victory.
He followed that up with 11 points in a tough loss to Team Stripes, then closed things out with eight points in the championship game as his team blew out LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard's squad 47-21 to win the title.
It was his fourth All-Star appearance and his first time winning the MVP award, and he earned 10 of the 14 possible votes from media members.
Edwards, who is averaging 29.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on the season while shooting 49.3 percent from the floor and 40.2 percent from three, looked like a player who belongs in the conversation as the best in the game right now.
The New Format Delivered
The NBA's decision to go with a USA vs. the World format turned out to be a hit, as the first three games of the night were all decided by a single possession and the players actually competed like something was on the line.
Victor Wembanyama set the tone for the entire evening, putting up 33 combined points while going right at the American teams and showing why he is one of the most dominant forces in basketball today.
Kawhi Leonard caught fire for 31 points in the Stripes' win over Team World and De'Aaron Fox hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer that had the crowd going wild, giving fans the kind of moments that have been missing from the All-Star Game for years.
The event drew an average of 8.8 million viewers, which was the largest All-Star audience since 2011 and an 87 percent jump from the year before.
What It Means Going Forward
Edwards and the Timberwolves head into the second half of the season sitting at 34-22, which puts them in the sixth spot in a loaded Western Conference where every game matters.
Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs own the second-best record in the West at 38-16 and look like a team that is only going to keep getting better.
The rivalry between Edwards and Wembanyama is starting to feel like the next great NBA matchup, and the All-Star Game gave fans a taste of what that could look like on the biggest stage.
Edwards may have taken his shot at Team World, but the respect between the two young stars is real and both of them are just getting started.