The New York Knicks only needed five games to take down the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, implying they would've gotten the job done one way or another. Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards, though, might just be a bit too competitive to let them have that on their own.
You either win or learn in the NBA Playoffs, and Edwards' Timberwolves only won two games before learning four lessons against the Spurs. They couldn't best Victor Wembanyama's squad in the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs. But Edwards, on a panel at Fanatics Fest in New York City on Friday, revealed he gave tips to former teammate Karl-Anthony Towns throughout the series.
Nobody was going to stop Jalen Brunson on his path to his first NBA Championship. Whether the Knicks' Captain knew it or not, though, he got an assist from an unlikely friend out in Minnesota. And he can thank KAT for the connection.
Ant-Man dished a surprise assist to help Knicks beat Wemby's Spurs
Edwards appeared on stage at Fanatics Fest alongside Taylor Rooks, in a guest appearance first reported by Scoop B. It was there that he carved out, and ate, his slice of the credit pie with regard to the Knicks' NBA title victory.
"It may have been like 3 in the morning, when he FaceTimed me after the game, but yeah. I was talking to him before every game, because we played San Antonio. Just giving him little tips and stuff, on which players like to go which ways, and stuff about Wemby. I gave him a little cheat code, and he passed the test. So shoutout KAT," Edwards explained through a smile.
Towns, the rest of the Knicks' players, and even the team's coaching staff deserve all of the credit for outmatching Wembanyama. But Ant-Man may truly have given him a piece of advice, or two, that helped move the needle.
Could Towns and Edwards ever reunite on the same NBA roster?
The reality of the situation, though, is that KAT likely deserves even more credit for New York's NBA Championship than he's currently getting. His stark change in role during their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks helped spark the 13-game win streak they rode to the fourth round of the postseason. And as the starting center, he anchored the Knicks' defense throughout the playoffs.
That defense, for what it's worth, had both the lowest defensive rating and number of points allowed per game amongst all playoff teams. The data certainly backed up what the eye-test had to say: that the group consistently produced elite results on that end of the court.
Towns was a crucial part of those efforts. No advice from Edwards could've changed that. But with the Larry O'Brien trophy already in the Knicks' hands, Towns shouldn't mind having to share a bit of the credit with the superstar that's effectively been his "annoying little brother" throughout their NBA careers. It might even help lay the groundwork for a reunion, at some point, later on in their careers.
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