The Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder are currently battling for the right to play in this year’s NBA Finals.

The Thunder took a commanding 3-1 series lead on Monday night, and could eliminate the Timberwolves in Game 5 on their home floor Wednesday.

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The series has been a battle between two elite teams, but it’s also been a matchup between two elite players in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards.

Both have played well at points in the series, but some have suggested that they’re battling for another title: the face of the NBA.

Edwards is one of the league’s most popular stars and has even won a gold medal with Team USA, but he’s shied away from the responsibility that comes with being the face of the NBA.

After Edwards’ lackluster performance in Game 4, ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins questioned if Edwards had what it takes to be the face of the league, but his requirements had little to do with basketball.

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“You gotta check the boxes when you’re the face of the league,” Perkins said after Game 4.

“You look at Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, LeBron, Steph, what did they all have in common? While they was all playing in the league, they all were family men.”

Perkins said that all of the players he mentioned had wives and children. Edwards has a child with his girlfriend, but they aren’t married.

On Wednesday, ahead of a potential series-ending Game 5, Perkins apologized.

“Anthony Edwards is one my favorite players in the League if not my favorite player,” Perkins said on social media.

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“I apologized privately so I’m apologizing publicly to the young [king] for my comments on First Take yesterday. My bad young fella. I Was not taking a personal shot at you but I could see how it could have been taken that way.”

Perkins says that he also apologized to Edwards privately for his comment, and hopefully the two are able to move forward without incident.

We’ll see if Edwards and the Timberwolves can force a Game 6 of this year’s Western Conference Finals when they take on the Thunder on Wednesday at 8:30 PM.

ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins Apologizes for His Comment first appeared on Men’s Journal on May 28, 2025