When LeBron James was considering his next destination in free agency, Anthony Edwards was in his ear. According to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, the Minnesota Timberwolves star attempted to sell James joining a team that could legitimately contend for a championship. But in the end, he ultimately chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.
That serves as the prelude for two of the Timberwolves’ most anticipated matchups of the 2026-27 season when they will travel to the Sixers on Jan. 16 and host Philadelphia on March 13. It also gives Edwards a chance to follow through on his playful warning shot when James asked what would happen if he didn’t choose the Timberwolves.
“Edwards didn’t hesitate, telling him that would be OK,” Krawczynski wrote on July 24. “Because that just meant he could tear James’s head off on the court when their two teams met.”
Anthony Edwards and LeBron James add another wrinkle to their rivalry on Jan. 16
Of course, Edwards meant that as a joke but his friendly rivalry with James is not a secret. When both players starred during the first season of Netflix’s “Starting Five” docuseries, James explained the basis of his work ethic going into his 40s, which was based on the fact he had not seen a younger player play to his level.
“If there was somebody on the floor that I felt was in better condition or was better fit for the moment than me, then I could possibly sit down for a little longer,” James said. “I have not seen that yet.”
After those comments, the camera cut to a Lamborghini revving up in a garage and taking the highway before Edwards offered his thoughts.
“I do not look up to anybody in the league right now currently. Not at all. Yeah, not the slightest,” Edwards said. “Yeah I wanna cook LeBron one-on-one. Like, who don’t? If you say you don’t…you don’t wanna compete.”
Those thoughts were not directly in response to James’s comments, but it made for great television. And the same goes for when Edwards and LeBron have crossed paths since entering the league in 2020.
According to Statmuse, Edwards has averaged 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in 18 career meetings against James. While James has a 10-8 advantage, Edwards got the best of him during the 2025 playoffs, averaging 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists over a five game-series victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
That playoff performance also included a near triple-double in Game 1 (22 points, eight rebounds, nine assists) and another gem in Game 4 with 43 points, nine rebounds and six assists that pushed James to the brink of elimination.
LeBron James’s Timberwolves rejection will give Anthony Edwards plenty of motivation
While James is no longer in the Western Conference, he still stands as a measuring stick and Edwards has even more motivation when the Timberwolves see him this winter.
The Wolves were a perfect landing spot for James schematically. Julius Randle and Naz Reid were traded earlier this summer and their departures opened the need for a starting power forward. James’s playmaking ability could also mesh well next to Rudy Gobert and his leadership would have been extremely valuable to a team centered around players under the age of 26.
There was also a legacy component to come to Minnesota. The Timberwolves have been considered a laughingstock for most of their history and if James led them to a championship, it would have been another notch in his favor for the greatest player in NBA history against Michael Jordan.
Still, James chose Philadelphia after the 76ers added Jaylen Brown to a core that already included Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe and with an easier path to a title in the Eastern Conference. While Edwards probably can’t blame him, it should give him motivation to take any frustration out on the court.
That’s not a sign of disrespect, but it can propel Edwards to be at his best during these games. Consider that Edwards’s favorite player growing up was Kevin Durant but when the two met during the 2024 playoffs, Edwards went off for 31.0 points 8.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists and a thunderous poster dunk in a four game-sweep over Durant’s Phoenix Suns.
If James rejecting the Wolves brings out the same version of Edwards, there’s a good chance it will be must-see TV and another reason why Edwards can follow through on his words when he sees James this season.
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