The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards has grown into one of the NBA’s most electrifying young stars — and a discerning crowd critic. After dispatching the Lakers 117-95 in Game 1 on Saturday night, Edwards casually dissed the entertainment industry crowd in Los Angeles while lauding the Ball Arena faithful.
Ant’s Complimentary Quote
When asked during the postgame presser how he managed to stay locked in within the Lakers’ home atmosphere, Edwards didn’t hesitate:
"“An atmosphere like this, it’s easy for me, man. I’ve played in Denver, man. Denver is [a] tough place to play in on the road. So, I mean, it was nothing.” "Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards on playing in front of the Lakers' fans: "An atmosphere like this, it’s easy for me, man. I’ve played in Denver, man. Denver is a tough place to play on the road. So I mean, it was nothing."
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) April 20, 2025
Isn’t that something? The 23-year-old phenom just told us that after experiencing the raucous Ball Arena, other NBA atmospheres feel much less daunting, “easy” even. Lakers fans might drive a lot of online conversation, but they clearly do not create the most intimidating atmosphere for opponents.
What an incredible compliment — even if it kinda stings deep down. While acknowledging our arena as the gold standard for hostile environments, Ant also reminds us that he’s personally conquered our home court multiple times. Ouch.
Minny’s made themselves quite comfortable in our house lately, going 3-1 at Ball Arena during last year’s second-round heartbreaker, including that brutal Game 7, where they roared back from a 20-point second-half deficit to eliminate what were the reigning NBA champions. The T-Wolves swept both games in Denver during this year’s regular season.
When Edwards talks about Denver being a “tough place to play,” I suppose he means for other opponents.
Sure, the altitude helps our Nuggets traditionally enjoy a solid home-court advantage, winning 65.5% of all-time home games. But this season was more of a slog than usual, with the Nuggets losing double-digit games at home for the first time since the 2021-22 season. The Nuggets' 26-15 home record was tied for 10th-best in the NBA this season.
From Compliment to Call to Action
Before we get too flattered by Ant-Man’s remarks, let’s get fired up. As our Nuggets face the Clippers in Game 2 tonight, we have a golden opportunity to remind everyone why Ball Arena deserves its reputation. Maybe Ant will catch a crowd pop watching from somewhere in L.A. tonight.
Any time a player takes a shot at Lakers fans is enjoyable for me, but simultaneously complimenting Nuggets fans while doing so was the cherry on top. So, thanks, Ant, for not calling out Madison Square Garden, Boston’s TD Garden, or even the Clippers’ new Intuit Dome with its infamous “The Wall” but the Mile High City’s Ball Arena as the benchmark for intimidating atmospheres.
Now, it’s time for us to live up to that billing and give Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and the rest of the other team in Los Angeles the full Ball Arena experience. The Nuggets can take a commanding 2-0 lead tonight before the series shifts to Los Angeles.
Let’s make sure the Clippers leave tonight’s game feeling like Anthony Edwards does: that Denver is the toughest road environment in the NBA.