A part of the charm of Anthony Edwards is his bubbly spirit. His confidence and enticement spike when put up against a glaring challenge. In the Timberwolves’ riveting playoff berth, it initially paid off. He swept his idol, Kevin Durant, and the Suns, scoring 40 in Game 4. Then the pack put an end to the Nuggets’ dreams of repeating. Edwards had never been so confident. That’s exactly what blinded him to the grim challenge that would follow after his animated statement. “My matchup [is] going to be Kyrie. So that’s going to be fun,” he said.

To a poised Kyrie Irving, he took the words and ate them up. It was “motivation” after all. When the moment came, Ant seemed bubbly to successfully claim another legend in his path. But as time went on, not only did KAI expertly decimate the rabid Wolves’ defense, but the challenger was out of life in his task of guarding the mercurial Dallas guard.

Looking back at it, Anthony Edwards admitted his mistakes. “Yeah, I should have left Kyrie alone. Yeah, going saying that right after being dog tired fighting back from a Game 7, I wish I could go back and take that back,” he said on Starting 5. See, while Edwards played incessant defense on Jamal Murray and the Nuggets in the series-deciding Game 7, Irving was carefully watching.

In Game 1, the Timberwolves by far were the worn outside. In comparison, Kyrie Irving and Dallas were fresh. In the majority of the time that Edwards guarded KAI, the 32-year-old scored 8 points while shooting 57%. The fatigue though was unbearable for Ant-Man. “Jaden, you got Kyrie. I’m tired,” he could be seen telling his Wolves teammate.

The momentum Irving had behind him though had reached an unstoppable high, he scored 30 to give the Mavericks a win on the road. For the rest of the series, the Wolves ace devoted his attention to Luka Doncic. It truly became a case of picking between the same outcome. In five games, the Mavericks destroyed the young Timberwolves. And the humble lesson had been learned by Anthony Edwards.

A battle for both Kyrie Irving and Anthony Edwards to enjoy

In spite of how it ended, Edwards embodied the energy and intensity that the postseason commands. Those moments truly help identify those players who aren’t afraid of the spotlight but prosper when they are the brightest. For that reason, Irving respected the 23-year-old for his brave heart.

In some sense, KAI was aware that Edwards grew up watching him. But with his rise in basketball, the eight-time All-Star admitted to watching the Wolves talisman since high school. He had never changed his demeanor. Anthony Edwards relished the high-stakes moments. It’s a quality Irving thought was admirable.

“I respect that, and that no-fear mentality that he has is why I love him as a competitor and I love him as a person. When we are on the court, I know he’s going to give it his all, I’ll give my all, and at the end of the game, it’s all love,” Irving said after Game 1.

Even though both sides deeply yearned to emerge victorious, the Wolves had been beaten down in their prior matchup against the Nuggets. Edwards averaged just 24 points, his lowest in the three series the Wolves took part in. On the other hand, with ample rest, Irving and Doncic left a trail of exploits on their way to the Finals.

The former Cavaliers star in particular enjoyed his best moments of the postseason in the games against one of the most daunting defenses of last year. Irving posted at least 30 points in three of the five games, all of which the Mavericks won. Ultimately, after the Mavs lost the Finals to the Shamrocks, both sides took with them similar lessons.

Growth has been a common theme for both teams. Edwards and the Wolves have lost Karl-Anthony Towns but gained greater depth and hounding energy in their roster. The addition of Klay Thompson is what Irving hopes will help Dallas achieve their title “dreams.” With the way their first war ended, each time the teams face, it’s bound to be electrifying.

For KAI, such “exciting matchups” are what energize him.