Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards oozes supreme confidence on the offensive side of the ball. He has a knack for taking games over with his scoring chops and is accustomed to making difficult shots from all three levels.
Edwards has proven to be a playoff riser so far in his NBA career. He seemingly embraces the pressure and magnitude of the playoffs, as he’s averaging 27.6 points per game for his playoff career.
Timberwolves big man Julius Randle, who is Minnesota’s second leading scorer in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, evoked Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant when talking about Edwards’ self-confidence, as he said it’s “Kobe-like.”
“I have been around a lot of great players. He is as confident in his belief in himself as … it’s Kobe-like. And I was around Kobe,” Randle told ESPN.
“He’s not scared of any moment and he wants those moments. His belief and confidence in who he is as a player is the highest I’ve ever seen or been around, for anybody.”
Randle started out his pro career on the storied Lakers franchise after he was selected by the team with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, and he spent the first two NBA seasons as a teammate of Bryant. It’s worth noting that Randle played only one game for the Lakers in his rookie campaign due to a broken right leg.
Edwards’ scoring bravado has the Timberwolves just one win away from their third appearance in the Western Conference Finals in franchise history and second appearance in a row. It’s not hyperbolic to claim that the Timberwolves are amid their most successful stretch in team history, and Edwards may not have scratched the surface of his full potential yet, as he’s just 23 years old.
Edwards can deliver the knockout blow to the Golden State Warriors in Minnesota’s second-round series with a big offensive showing and victory in Wednesday night’s Game 5. The Timberwolves will be at home for that matchup between the No. 6 and No. 7 seeds in the Western Conference.
The guard can probably make the comparisons between him and Bryant even more prevalent should he help the Timberwolves win their first NBA title later this year. The Timberwolves have yet to even reach an NBA Finals since the team was established.
All in all, Edwards still has a long way to go before his resume stacks up to Bryant’s, but the similarities between the two in terms of confidence are apparent.
