There's no question how beloved Anthony Edwards is by Minnesota Timberwolves fans. But as much as the fanbase wants him to succeed, they unfortunately let their franchise player down in a uniquely disappointing way: by failing to get him enough fan votes in All-Star voting, Victor Wembanyama squeaked by Edwards to earn a spot in the All-Star starting lineup.
This might sound like I'm just being arbitrarily critical of the fans, but the numbers prove it. The final starting spot in the All-Star game came down to a fan vote tiebreaker to determine who would get the coveted spot. Ultimately, Wembanyama beat out Ant in the category of fan votes, so Edwards had to settle for a bench spot.
Timberwolves fans are generally very passionate and they of course love Edwards, so this was a bit of a surprising development. But one thing is for sure: die-hard fans in Minnesota have to be sure something like this does not happen again.
Sitting back and realizing fans not voting enough is the real reason Ant isn't starting in the All-Star game is a tough pill to swallow. But the good thing is, it's highly preventable, and this should motivate Wolves fans to go all-out voting next season.
Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama's starter spot came down to a fan vote tiebreaker. Wemby received more fan votes, so Wemby in, Ant out. Brutal.
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 19, 2026
Anthony Edwards won't be starting in the All-Star game
Sometimes there can be a bit of psychology at work when it comes to these things. At this point, Edwards has gotten so famous and so beloved across the nation that it almost seemed like it would be inevitable that he would be a starter. He's arguably the best American basketball player in the NBA today.
But that's the thing. When you start talking about "inevitable outcomes" without doing your part to make sure it becomes a reality, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Edwards is close to the level of being able to sleepwalk his way into the All-Star starting lineup, but he's not quite there yet. Clearly, he still needs his fans and Timberwolves fans to give him a boost.
And that's totally okay to admit. Ant is an electrifying player to watch, but more fans were fired up to vote for Victor Wembanyama than they were for him. Sure, there are some people that are just player fans, but I find that there's plenty more fans of teams. That means this falls squarely on the Timberwolves' fanbase to make a change.
So essentially, the message is loud and clear: when next December comes around and voting begins again, don't think you're too cool to vote if you want to see Anthony Edwards as an All-Star starter. Set reminders, alarms, whatever you have to, vote every day and make it happen.