After the 2024 NBA Playoffs, in which the Minnesota Timberwolves swept the Phoenix Suns 4–0 and Anthony Edwards went toe-to-toe with his idol, Kevin Durant, it felt like a time machine had taken us back to 2012.
That year, on the road to the NBA Finals, a young Oklahoma City Thunder team led by Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Durant defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4–1, as Durant showed the world that he was ready to go head-to-head with his idol, Kobe Bryant.
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Edwards always looked up to Durant
Fast-forward to 2024: Ant-Man and KD found themselves teammates on Team USA, but despite a brilliant playoff run, Edwards was still in a secondary role, while Durant enjoyed the respect and minutes of a veteran leader.
“Man, it’s just like getting in a time machine. The way Ant acted towards me was sort of the way I acted towards Kobe back in 2012, where it’s just like a slight hint of competition cuz we played each other in the playoffs, but it’s always gonna be respect there and love there, you know what I’m saying?” Durant said on “The Pivot Podcast”.
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“Me and Ant always found our way around each other — on the bus, on the train, in the locker room — just talking life, talking hoop, talking about random stuff. It just felt like he came up kind of the same way I did, went through the same struggles trying to make it. We resonated on that level. Most of the time, we didn’t even talk about what we went through, the conversation was just easy. So it was fun,” the Rockets superstar added.
Passing down the torch moment
To put things in perspective, back in 2012, Durant was already one of the biggest stars in the league, while Bryant was nearing the end of his career. The NBA was searching for its next torchbearer, and Durant became just that. He went on to become a four-time scoring champion, an MVP, a two-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors and a two-time Finals MVP.
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By the end of his career, he’ll have a chance to surpass Kobe on the all-time scoring list. And even at 37, the 6-foot-11 forward remains one of the league’s most efficient and prolific scorers, averaging 27.5 points on 52.2 percent shooting in the 2025/26 NBA season.
Meanwhile, the league has seen a fascinating shift as the last seven MVPs have all been international players. With the rise of Victor Wembanyama, that trend seems likely to continue. Edwards might be the lone U.S. superstar with a real shot to change that narrative in the coming seasons.
KD influenced Ant-Man
He knows it too, and his summer with Durant clearly left an impression. After leading the Timberwolves to their first Western Conference Finals appearance in 20 years, then repeating that success the following year, Edwards has made it clear he’s ready to take the torch from veterans like KD. That mindset was on full display during media day when Edwards explained his offseason grind.
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“It was fun. It was a fun process. Every day, just going into the gym, knowing what you are going to work on. I think that is the most fun thing about it,” Edwards said. “Greatness is boring. So it was a lot of boring days in the gym just doing one-dribble pull-ups. But I think it benefits me.”
Edwards is capable of going all the way
And that’s the key. The 6-foot-4 guard already ranks among the league’s elite, but as he enters his prime, he understands that to reach the heights of Black Mamba and KD, he’ll need to push beyond his limits, be the first in the gym, the last to leave, no matter how hard it gets.
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With two Western Conference Finals appearances and an Olympic gold medal already on his resume, the Georgia product is still hungry for more. He won’t stop until he’s an MVP, a scoring champion and an NBA champion. And in this new era dominated by international superstars, if there’s one U.S. player capable of doing it, it’s him.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.