In the mid-2000s, Randy Orton earned the moniker “The Legend Killer” in WWE by systematically taking down wrestling icons like Ric Flair, Mick Foley, and Shawn Michaels, cementing his status as a future star. Now, two decades later, the NBA has its own version of this archetype in Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who has emerged as a playoff assassin, toppling some of the league’s biggest legends in his quest for greatness, as detailed in a TWSN Sports article titled “Anthony Edwards Is The NBA’s Legend Killer,” published on April 29, 2025.
Edwards, at just 23 years old, has built a reputation for delivering in the postseason, leading the Timberwolves to upset victories over three of the NBA’s most iconic players in consecutive playoff runs. His journey began in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, where the Timberwolves faced the Phoenix Suns, led by Kevin Durant, Edwards’ childhood idol. In a master-versus-student narrative, Edwards dominated, averaging 31.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game, per NBA.com. The Timberwolves swept the Suns 4-0, with Edwards’ 40-point, 13-assist performance in Game 4 sealing the series, per ESPN. Durant, a two-time champion and 2014 MVP, was held to 26.8 points on 41.7% shooting, a testament to Edwards’ defensive intensity and offensive firepower, per Basketball-Reference.
The second round of the 2024 playoffs pitted Edwards against Nikola Jokic and the defending champion Denver Nuggets. Jokic, the 2023 Finals MVP and a two-time league MVP, presented a formidable challenge, but Edwards rose to the occasion, averaging 27.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists over a thrilling seven-game series, per NBA.com. Edwards dropped 40 or more points twice, including a 43-point outburst in Game 4, leading the Timberwolves to a 4-3 upset, per ESPN. Jokic’s 32.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 10.0 assists per game weren’t enough, as Edwards’ relentless energy and clutch play—highlighted by a 16-point fourth quarter in Game 7—sent the Nuggets packing, per The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.
Edwards’ legend-killing streak continued in the 2025 playoffs, where the Timberwolves faced LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. The Lakers, bolstered by James’ 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game in the 2024-25 regular season, were viewed as title contenders, per Basketball-Reference. However, Edwards and the Timberwolves dismantled them in five games, exposing flaws in the Lakers’ roster construction. Edwards averaged 29.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in the series, including a 38-point, 10-assist performance in the Game 5 clincher, per NBA.com. James, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time with four championships and four MVP awards, was held to 23.4 points on 44.2% shooting, marking another notch on Edwards’ belt, per ESPN.
The TWSN Sports piece draws parallels between Edwards’ playoff heroics and Orton’s WWE run, noting that Edwards has now eliminated three future Hall of Famers—Durant, Jokic, and James—in back-to-back postseasons. Edwards’ playoff stats through these runs are staggering: 29.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game on 48.1% shooting across 16 games in 2024 and 2025, per Basketball-Reference. His ability to perform under pressure has earned him the “Legend Killer” moniker, a nickname that reflects his knack for crushing the dreams of NBA icons.
Looking ahead, Edwards could add another legend to his list if the Golden State Warriors advance past the Houston Rockets in the 2025 playoffs’ first round. A potential second-round matchup with Steph Curry, a four-time champion and two-time MVP, looms large. Curry, who averaged 26.4 points and shot 40.8% from three in the 2024-25 regular season, per ESPN, has a chance to finish off the Rockets, who trail 3-2 as of April 29, 2025, per NBA.com. Edwards, fresh off his Lakers takedown, would relish the challenge, having cited Curry as a major influence on his game during a 2024 interview with All the Smoke Productions, where he praised Curry’s off-ball movement and shooting mechanics, per NBC Sports Bay Area.
At 23, Edwards is building a legacy in a unique way, as TWSN Sports notes. While he lacks a championship ring or MVP trophy—unlike Durant, Jokic, James, and Curry, who have 10 titles and 9 MVPs between them—his playoff performances have established him as a rising star with a knack for taking down giants. Edwards’ regular-season stats in 2024-25, where he averaged 27.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 46.2% shooting, per ESPN, earned him his first All-NBA Second Team nod, and he’s on pace for another in 2025 with 28.1 points per game through 22 games, per NBA.com. The Timberwolves, who reached the Western Conference Finals in 2024 before falling to the Dallas Mavericks, are 14-8 in 2025, positioning them as contenders, per ESPN.
Edwards’ journey mirrors Orton’s in its audacity and impact. Just as Orton became a household name by defeating wrestling’s elite, Edwards is carving out his place in NBA history by toppling basketball’s titans. Whether he faces Curry next or continues his ascent in future postseasons, Edwards’ “Legend Killer” persona ensures that every playoff run will be a spectacle, as he builds a legacy defined by fearlessness and the ability to dethrone the game’s greatest stars.
