The All-Star festivities tend to be fun and games, but not for Anthony Edwards. 

In a contest marked by buzzer-beaters and offensive heaters, it was Edwards who scored a combined 32 points in the USA Stars’ run to the 2026 NBA All-Star Game championship. The four-time All-Star has the knack for making the game look easy: playing at a high level and with great intensity yet remaining all smiles while at it. 

It’s fitting that Edwards was named the 2026 NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP as he embodied the spirit of Bryant, who took games like these seriously as if they were Game 7s. Such was the standard for those in the conversation on the face of the NBA, where Edwards finds himself firmly entrenched in. 

A slow start to Edwards’ 2025-2026 campaign did not derail him; it merely delayed what is turning out to be a career year for the 24-year old. Career-best numbers in scoring (29.3 points per game) and scoring efficiency (49.3/40.2/79.5 shooting splits) are some of the obvious indications, but it’s the steadiness to his game that is helping position this season as his best one yet. 

The Minnesota Timberwolves have figured in a number of close games and based on the NBA’s metrics they’re an even 12-12. It puts them smack in the middle of the pack, and while it could be better, things could have been worse if not for Edwards. 

Among those who have figured heavily in clutch games, Edwards leads in field goal percentage (59.2) and trails only reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in clutch points per game (5.9). Edwards has never shied away from the bright lights that come with these moments and he continues to respond well. It’s this kind of mentality that makes him a perfect fit for any game, whether it’s all fun and games like the All-Star weekend or a contest where everyone is going all out like in the postseason.  

There are those that let the game come to them, but Edwards tends to take the game and mould it into how he sees fit. He’ll get the ball in his hands with the game on the line. He’ll happily take the switch and face an opponent’s best defender. He’ll take the challenge of playing against the best and letting them know about it. These words remind you of the greats that have come before him and now have to accommodate him into their esteemed company. 

For a while now, Anthony Edwards has been paraded as the NBA’s next big star and this year’s All-Star festivities sees him taking the torch while the league’s old guard watches. Of course a NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP is well and good, but just like the person the award is named after, Edwards is after bigger things and this moment is just the step towards the path to greatness.