Anthony Edwards and his best bud, Karl-Anthony Towns, faced off in an intense battle tonight. The Knicks overpowered the Wolves 115-110 in addition to some on-court tension, sparking a sense of sourness between previous bonds. But it seems like whatever drama happens on the court stays just there, as the former teammates-turned-opponents have nothing but love and respect for each other.

In fact, the solid relationship between KAT and ANT was on full display as the pair exchanged their jerseys after the matchup! But it wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. Anthony Edwards had already got Towns’ word on it earlier.

“We was together for like a couple hours yesterday and I told him like, ‘I don’t care who you already told you giving your jersey to, I got to have it.’ So, he pretty much just moved everybody else out the way, let me get the jersey. So I appreciate him… Competing against your brother is always fun,” the Minnesota hooper confessed post-game.

It was truly a rollercoaster just days before the preseason. The Knicks had already shaken the league with their Mikal Bridges trade. And with the whole Villanova squad coming full circle, they were viewed as a major threat to the Celtics.

https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1845630319187112238

However, in a completely unexpected turn of events, the ‘Big Apple’ chose to address their center needs by breaking the ‘Nova Knicks’ and the KAT-ANT partnership. The 7-foot Dominican-American and his hefty contract were shipped to MSG in return for Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. Who else was going to help both teams not get in trouble with the updated CBA rules?

As hard as the leave-taking was, it was certainly not going to hurt them. Just take tonight’s numbers as an example. Donte DiVincenzo – 15 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds while shooting 54.5% from the field and 40.0% from downtown. Karl-Anthony Towns – 16 points and rebounds each in 29 minutes as he shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.

But KAT wasn’t just happy seeing Edwards. He had a lot of love to spare for his former team.

Towns had nothing but love for his Timberwolves, as Anthony Edwards shares a heartwarming moment with KAT’s father!

The successful relationship between ‘Ant-Man’ and Towns might be only four years old. However, the 4x All-Star’s relationship with Minnesota was just one year short of a decade. Naturally, it would be a tough farewell. But he was over the moon when he finally saw his ex-teammates and coach. Ahead of the matchup, the Kentucky alum greeted Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert. Of course, he had a small chat with Anthony Edwards, too. The hooper did not forget his former coach, either.

Before the start of the game, he shook hands with Chris Finch. And Edwards? The 2x All-Star’s love for Towns extended to his family as well. Clad in a pink hoodie with the Knicks emblem on the sleeve was KAT’s dad. Anthony Edwards went straight to the old man, dapping and hugging him. The interaction was simply wholesome.

Clearly, the NBA side of things will stay in its lane. But the friendships and close relationships these hoopers have with each other occupy a special place regardless of what happens on the court. Isn’t that the best way to go about life? What do you think?

 Meanwhile, if you’re hungry for more basketball content, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.