Edwards must learn to embrace being potential new face of NBA

Team USA Stars guard Anthony Edwards (5) of the Minnesota Timberwolves poses with the MVP trophy after the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Anthony Edwards must learn to embrace being potential new face of the NBA after winning All-Star Game MVP

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Feb 16, 2026 4:49 PM ET

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards must learn to embrace being the potential new face of the NBA after winning All-Star Game MVP on Sunday.

Throughout his six-year career, the usually confident Edwards has hesitated to deem himself the league's next marquee star. Before the All-Star Game, he dismissed that notion again and tried to pass that mantle to San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama instead.

"Man, them folks got Wembanyama. They got Wembanyama, they'll be all right," he said before carrying Team USA Stars to wins over Team USA Stripes and Team World in Sunday's mini-tournament.

Wembanyama inspired the most competitive All-Star Weekend in recent memory, scoring 33 points on 10-of-13 shooting in Sunday's games while playing for Team World. Even then, the 7-foot-4 Frenchman can't captivate a crowd the way Edwards does.

Anthony Edwards wowed at All-Star Game

Edwards scored 32 points and drilled six three-pointers during Sunday's festivities, but he wasn't the All-Star Game's leading scorer. That was Team USA Stripes forward Kawhi Leonard (37 points). So, why aren't more people talking about the Los Angeles Clippers star? Well, he's not one of the reasons former President Barack Obama came to watch Sunday's game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

"[Obama is] my favorite person in the world," Edwards said postgame. "We was kicking it yesterday. I told him I was going to put on a show for him."

“He my favorite person in the world. We was kicking it yesterday. I told him I was going to put in a show for him.”

Ant on his relationship with Obama pic.twitter.com/myD95MVQQG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 16, 2026

He certainly delivered on that promise. Edwards, 24, not only impressed former politicians but also his peers. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James hyped the guard after playing in his 22nd All-Star Game.

"Love Ant-Man. Everything about him," James said. "On the court, off the court, happy for him. First of many All-Star MVPs for him. I love Ant, he's got a fan in me and a friend in me for life."

James, 41, has been widely considered the face of the NBA throughout his 23-year career. As he nears retirement, however, the league must hand that role to someone else. Why not Edwards?

"I think Ant Edwards is a guy who is going to be a centerpiece for Team USA moving forward," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Monday on "Get Up." "A centerpiece of All-Star Games going forward, and it's not something that he necessarily wants ... but he's so magnetic."

That charm attracts people, which could make Edwards an even bigger star. Whether he wants that or not, he'd better adjust to it. His notoriety is only growing after the All-Star Game.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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