Anthony Edwards vs. Ja Morant rivalry heats up as T'Wolves star makes daring claim: "I can probably cook him"
While leading his team to the conference finals last season, Anthony Edwards solidified himself as one of the NBA's top young stars. Coming off his best year in the pros, the former No. 1 pick jabbed at a fellow emerging superstar in the Western Conference.
One thing that has resulted in people gravitating towards Edwards is his vibrant personality and endless confidence. This was on full display during an interview on Thursday where he talked about Ja Morant. When asked how he'd fare in a one-on-one battle with the Memphis Grizzlies star, Edwards is confident that it wouldn't be a contest.
"Oh yeah, he’ll be back this year," Edwards said via Interview Magazine. "A lot of people, I ain’t going to say they forgot about him, but he went under wraps for a few months, because he hasn’t been playing. But as far as one-on-one, yeah, I can probably cook him."
Morant is certainly going to be one of Anthony Edwards' biggest rivals as they are two hyper-athletic guards who are walking highlight reels. Additionally, the Grizzlies and Timberwolves are both poised to be contenders in the Western Conference for the foreseeable future.
As these stars get closer to their primes, they have a good chance of becoming one of the NBA's more interesting rivalries.
Anthony Edwards vs Ja Morant was recently featured as part of NBA 'Rivals Week'
In recent years, the NBA has tried multiple things to try and spice up the regular season. One of them is "rivals week," where old rivalries rage on and new ones are formed.
During the 2023 season, Anthony Edwards vs. Ja Morant was featured in it. The Minnesota Timberwolves went on to win 111-100 but both star guards put up impressive outings.
Karl-Anthony Towns was sidelined in the Jan. 27 matchup which allowed Edwards to be the focal point of the Wolves' offense. He took full advantage of it and notched 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. It was also an efficient night for him as he converted nine of his 18 field goal attempts (50%).
Morant also filled the box score as he finished with a triple-double. He led the Grizzlies in scoring with 27 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
Anthony Edwards got the upper hand in this matchup but it was Morant who had the last laugh when the two met in the playoffs. In 2022, the Grizzlies and Timberwolves squared off in the first round and the series was decided in six games, with Memphis advancing to the semifinals.