Anthony Edwards has never been short on confidence. Whether he’s staring down Kevin Durant, challenging his veteran teammates, or throwing down an earth-shattering poster dunk, the Timberwolves star truly believes he is the best player on the floor at all times.
But his latest comments have sparked a massive basketball debate across the internet. When asked recently if he could lock up Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving in a pure 1-on-1 setting, Edwards didn’t hesitate:
“Oh for sure I can guard Kyrie. The only thing about it is when it’s a 5-on-5 setting there’s so much going on, I gotta chase him around…in a 1-on-1 setting, I like me.”
This quote is fascinating because it perfectly balances his signature bravado with a very real acknowledgment of what happened the last time these two clashed on the big stage.
The 5-on-5 Reality Check 🛑
Edwards knows firsthand just how grueling it is to deal with Kyrie in a standard game setting.
If you rewind to the 2024 Western Conference Finals, Edwards famously called out Irving on national television right after surviving a grueling Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets, boldly stating, “My matchup’s going to be Kyrie”.
Kyrie heard the quote, smiled, and used it as direct motivation. Irving came out in Game 1 and completely took over, dropping 30 points to lead Dallas to a victory. During that game, Edwards was visibly gassed trying to navigate the Mavericks’ offense, eventually asking to be switched off Irving because he was too tired from chasing him through screens. Edwards even admitted later in the Netflix series Starting 5 that he deeply regretted the call-out, wishing he could take it back because he was “dog-tired”.
In a 5-on-5 game, guarding Kyrie means dealing with Luka Dončić’s gravity, fighting through heavy screens, and playing exhausting team defense.
But 1-on-1? That is an entirely different sport.
The Case for Ant-Man 🐺
In an isolated, empty-gym 1-on-1 game, Edwards has a massive physical advantage. He is younger, stronger, and significantly more explosive. Built like a defensive back, Ant possesses the lateral quickness to slide his feet with almost anyone in the league.
Without the threat of screeners to bump him off balance, Edwards can just lock in, use his chest to absorb contact, and rely on his elite athleticism to smother the ball handler. When he says “I like me” in that setting, he’s trusting his raw, overpowering physical tools to shut down the airspace.
The Case for Uncle Drew 🪄
On the flip side, we are talking about Kyrie Irving—a player widely accepted by his peers as having the greatest handles in the history of basketball.
Kyrie doesn’t need a screen to break a defender down. His bag of isolation moves, hesitations, and immediate counters is practically infinite. Furthermore, his ability to finish at the rim with either hand from impossible angles over taller defenders means that even if Edwards plays perfect defense, Kyrie can still find a window to score. Guarding Kyrie 1-on-1 means being trapped on an island with a basketball wizard who can score from all three levels unassisted.
The Ultimate Debate 🗣️
It’s the ultimate clash of basketball styles: overwhelming youth and athleticism versus elite, generational skill and finesse. Edwards absolutely has the physical tools to make it a long day for Irving, but Kyrie has spent his entire career embarrassing elite perimeter defenders in pure isolation.
