Anthony Davis says battle with Anthony Edwards was ‘brotherly love’
With a strengthened friendship thanks to the Olympics, Anthony Davis and Anthony Edward competed hard against each other in the Lakers’ win against the Wolves.
Anthony Davis and Anthony Edwards are two Ants on separate teams. They faced each other on Tuesday night in the season opener and competed like old friends.
Davis was spectacular, ending the night with 36 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks, while Edwards put up numbers of his own with 27 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
In the end, the Lakers prevailed against the Wolves 110-103, earning their first win on opening night since 2016.
Despite playing entirely different positions, the two stars did have moments when they were directly against each other. Near the end of the third quarter, AD drew an and-one against Ant before the two exchanged words.
Friendly fire between Anthony Davis and Anthony Edwards #NBAPhilippines #NBAHighlights pic.twitter.com/8rFcwrBfde
— NBA Philippines (@NBA_Philippines) October 23, 2024
After the game, AD reassured everyone that it was competitive but all in good fun. He also mentioned that the other Ant hates playing the Lakers the most because of the defensive attention they put on him.
“Actually, it goes back to the Olympics,” Davis said. “We talked about it and he said we’re the team that he hates playing the most because we don’t let him play. We make him pass the ball. I got the and-one on him. I was screaming at him. It’s just brotherly love. That’s my guy. We call each other twin, same name and stuff like that. So it was nothing serious.”
With Ant being Minnesota’s best player, of course, the Lakers were going to be focused on making his job as hard as possible.
Maintaining Edwards as much as possible was part of the Lakers’ impressive defensive night. He still scored 27, but they defended him well on the perimeter, forcing him to go 5-13 from 3-point range and, more importantly, getting the win in the process.
We’ve heard story after story of Team USA creating or strengthening bonds between players. The Heatles played together during the Olympics before joining forces and both Kevin Durant and Booker did as well before becoming teammates in Phoenix.
Maybe AD and Edwards will always be friendly competitors and only teammates in Team USA setting and at All-Star Games.
Still, in Los Angeles, the motto “always be recruiting” is a constant. You never know where a career can go and knowing Anthony Davis like Edwards and the feeling is mutual is something to keep in the back of your mind.
Entering this season, AD is clearly the man in Southern California. He’s the focal point on both sides of the ball and while LeBron is the biggest star, Davis is the best player.
With a contract that goes up to 2028, he’ll likely be on the team after LeBron is done, and he’ll need another running mate. I'm not saying, just saying, it's nice to know Edwards and him are cool with each other. Talk soon.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.