Anthony Edwards Has One Regret Reaching 10K Points… and Kobe Would Hate It

The Minnesota Timberwolves hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. Anthony Edwards entered the contest just 23 points (what a coincidence) shy of 10,000. He was set to become the third-youngest player in history to reach the plateau (trailing LeBron James and Kevin Durant).

Not shockingly the Timberwolves superstar got it done. So did Minnesota by the way, winning 131-122. After the game though, Edwards talked about the achievement and the late Kobe Bryant’s name got brought into the convestion.

MN Timberwolves star doesn’t show the Mamba Mentality

LeBron James reached 10,000 points more than a year younger than Anthony Edwards did. Kevin Durant got there in just over 100 days less time. Kobe Bryant though, trailed the Minnesota Timberwolves star by 38 days when reaching the milestone. That was part of Edwards’ post game message.

“To be honest, it’s cool, but I know I got a lot more to go so it’s really nothing. I’m kinda sick that I got in front of Kobe (Bryant). I wish I would’ve waited like, 100 days or something, but yeah it’s all good.”

Anthony Edwards

Edwards finished the night with 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting. He was 4-of-7 from deep and dropped nine assists. It was a strong effort that had him finishing plus-19 for the contest.

That “wish I would’ve waited” comment certainly may have Kobe Bryant turning in his grave though. Kobe’s Mamba Mentality is defined as “a mindset focused on relentless pursuit of excellence, continuous self-improvement, and becoming the best version of yourself through hard work, dedication, and resilience, embodying pillars like passion, fearlessness, and obsession to overcome challenges and inspire others.”

In short, Bryant wasn’t waiting on anything.

Anthony Edwards post-up stepback midrange jumper for 10,000 career PTS pic.twitter.com/k6uEwcjf2R

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) January 9, 2026

It’s nice of Edwards to consider the late superstar, but Kobe would’ve wanted the young pup to mention how annoyed he was that he didn’t chase down his childhood favorite Kevin Durant. Or maybe a suggestion that he could be the next to join LeBron in the 40,000 club would have fit too.

At the end of the day, Edwards is a six-year pro looking to take the next step. He is knocking on the door of an MVP award, and averaging a career-best 29.2 points per game. His 50.4% field goal rate is a career-high, and he’s not far off from Luka Doncic’s 33.7 points per game.

Minnesota is back in action on Saturday afternoon with another shot at the Cavaliers. This time on the road, Edwards can look for another stellar performance.