The rise of the NBA’s new era has generated a majority of the league’s hit headlines in recent years. While international players have steadily taken over the game, especially when glancing at the MVP race each year, there hasn’t been a shortage of young American players connecting with a huge audience.
As the league transitions from long-time faces of the sport in LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, newer stars native to the United States have stepped up, namely Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant, two of the NBA’s most explosive athletes.
Morant, 25, was taken with the No. 2 pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2019 NBA Draft, while the 23-year-old “Ant-Man” was drafted a year later by the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 1.
Joining the same conference, both superstar guards will display countless memorable battles as the years go by. While the early segments of their careers have followed a different path, they have captured the wide eyes of fans in a truly unique way.
Ant-Man makes his thoughts on Ja clear
The Grizzlies superstar, like the Timberwolves superstar, is entering a season of pressure and expectations. However, Morant is looking for redemption, while Edwards is seeking validation. Debates about who the better player is will likely go on for years. But, this season, especially with Ja’s return to the hardwood after being tangled with a suspension and injury last season, No. 12 versus No. 5 will relight a storm in the Western Conference with neither player looking to cut the other any slack.
In a recent sitdown with Interview Magazine, the 23-year-old Minnesota star, who called his star counterpart his “dog,” spoke about Morant’s upcoming season. Considering his personality that drips with confidence, it isn’t surprising that Ant-Man is looking to add fuel to the fire before the start of the regular season.
"Oh yeah, he’ll be back this year,” Edwards said of the Grizzlies point guard. “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. That’s my dog, but one-on-one?”
So far in their careers, Morant has the edge over Edwards in the regular season with a 10-6 record. In the postseason, Ja is 6-4 against the Georgia product. The 2022 postseason featured an epic battle between both franchise cornerstones.
In Game 1 of the first round, the Timberwolves defeated the Grizzlies 130-117, behind Anthony’s 36 points. While Ja poured in 32 points and eight assists, it wasn’t enough to push his team over the top. It was, however, an early indicator of this growing rivalry as the showmanship of both stars on the grand stage.
In terms of their last matchup, which occurred a week before the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, the 25-year-old led Memphis to a dominating victory, as his 32 points outclassed Edwards’ 15.
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