Edward’s Takes Home The Kobe Bryant MVP Award
Photo: Joshua Garcia – NY Beacon
lntuit Stadium – Los Angeles
By Joshua Garcia
Los Angeles – The narrative built during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend was rumbling down a damaging path for the events reputation, and despite the disaster of the dunk contest, Sunday nights newly formatted contest was a roaring success. Ironically, the player throwing the most dire verbal daggers about the lack of effort, energy and pride would walk away with the Kobe Bryant trophy for MVP of the night, Minnesota’s Anthony (Ant Man) Edwards.
Timberwolves superstar Edwards channeled his inner Michael Jordan, because he most definitely took it personally. Edwards postgame attributed his standout performance to the trash talk of the World team, in particular the darling of the league, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama went public with his sentiments on giving a full effort for the World All Stars regardless of what kind of performance any teammate or opponent decided to display. That was all Edwards needed because the two went back and forth in the USA Stars vs World game as Antman and Wemby put up 13 and 14 points respectively, in the 12 minute matchup.
Despite Wembanyama following up the second game of his the round robin with 19 points and a Kawhi Leonard 31-point outburst, neither could steal the Kobe Bryant All Star Game MVP away from Edwards who stacked up 32 total points across the three games. Edwards led the USA Stars team to the championship and touted postgame how much he loves to stick it to and ball up legends like LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
For the New York Knicks All Stars, Captain Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns success came the night before Sunday’s primetime All Star Game. Bringing back an old favorite, Commissioner Adam Silver coupled a pair of modern NBA stars with a franchise alumni or old timer for a shooting contest. The Knicks team would take on the likes of Chet Holmgren, Rip Hamilton, Kon Knueppel and Corey Maggette.
Something for Knick fans both old and young, the modern-day Knicks All-stars lined up with Knicks legend and current front office executive, Allan Houston. Karl Anthony Towns Jalen Brunson and Allan Houston firing like he was back against the Miami Heat couldn’t be stopped. The trio stacked up 47 big points in the final round to take home their second trophy of the season to add to the NBA Cup.
All in all, everything about All Star Weekend was much better than expected and extremely more entertaining than recent years, minus that debacle that used to be the dunk contest. Keep the World vs USA format with old vs young American Stars and once and for all put the dunk contest to bed.
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