On Wednesday, guard Anthony Edwards was chosen by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the top pick in the NBA draft.
He instantly threw some subtle shade at Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and his status as the best in the game.
Anthony Edwards: "That's easy. The player I'm most excited to play against: Kevin Durant."
Why him?
"Just because he's the best player in the league. He's 7 feet, unguardable. He can do everything a little guard can do. That's easy. That's who I'm ready to play."
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) November 19, 2020
There’s no doubt that Durant has been a worthy individual challenger for James in recent years. The former Golden State Warriors standout won back-to-back NBA Finals MVPs in 2017 and 2018 as his team beat James’ Cleveland Cavaliers for the league title both years.
However, Durant is coming off a ruptured Achilles that he suffered in June 2019, and there’s a good chance he won’t be the same player.
James, of course, had a whale of a performance this past season, leading the league in assists and looking as spry as ever as he captured his fourth championship.
Even if he’s not the best player in the NBA in the regular season anymore, there’s little doubt that he’s still the best come playoff time.