After the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, it was Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards who walked away with the MVP trophy. Edwards helped lead Team Stars to a 47–21 win against Team Stripes in the final game of the new round-robin tournament format. The Timberwolves star finished with eight points, four rebounds and two assists in the final game.
After the All-Star Game, ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst talked about why Anthony Edwards should get more praise as one of the rising faces of the NBA.
"This guy does everything you want from a superstar," Windhorst said. "He plays on both ends of the court, he has great dunks, he's a great 3-point shooter, he has a great personality, he's been a winner. He hasn't won any championships, but he's led the Wolves to their best two years in franchise history, and he has incredible competitive juice that he's shown in this game."
“I think Ant Edwards is a guy who is going to be a focal point for Team USA going forward,” Windhorst continued. "A centerpiece of All-Star games moving forward, and it's not something he's always wanted... but he's so magnetic. This is a guy the NBA needs to invest heavily in moving forward. They don't have a choice, they have to."
The two seasons Windhorst was referring to were the last two seasons when the Wolves reached consecutive Western Conference Finals. Previously, the franchise had made only one conference final appearance in its entire history, in 2004, when Kevin Garnett was at his peak.
This season, Edwards has played just over 35 minutes per game in 46 games. His career averages have been 29.3 points and 5.2 rebounds. Averaged 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals, shooting 49.3 percent from the field, 40.2 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 79.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
