Friday night saw a tightly-contested battle between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets. The matchup featured the first encounter between a couple of highly-touted rookies in Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball who were selected first and third overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, respectively.

Edwards claimed that he has never personally met Ball prior to the game. Nonetheless, he still admitted that is wary of what Ball is capable of doing on the floor.

“I love his game but I have never met him,” he said via USA Today. “We’ve been on calls together stuff because we both were potential No. 1 picks but I’ve never met him. But…I love his game. No problem with him.”

The 19-year-old TWolves rookie also raved about Ball's size and his ability to make plays and involve his teammates, specifically on the offensive end.

“I’ve watched him this year but also during our draft process, too, and diving into what he can do,” he said. “His ability, at his size, to read defenses and play out of pick and roll, I mean he’s been doing that for a long time. One of his elite skills is making teammates better.”

Article Continues Below
More Timberwolves News
Cavaliers' guard Darius Garland with Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle - NBA trade rumors and scenarios
Timberwolves’ Darius Garland trade headlines 4 intriguing scenarios before NBA DraftBrett Siegel ·
Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13) moves the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena.
Paul George explains how Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards can reach full potentialTroy Finnegan ·
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) during the third quarter in game five of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center.
Timberwolves’ future in good hands despite major question marksMaya Aflakpi ·
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) and center Rudy Gobert (27) talk against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half during game four of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.
3 best Minnesota Timberwolves trades using No. 17 pick in 2025 NBA DraftRohan Brahmbhatt ·
Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) brings the ball up as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) defends him in the fourth quarter at Target Center with ESPN's Brian Windhorst in the background
Timberwolves rumors: Brian Windhorst details serious Kevin Durant trade pursuitJosue Pavon ·
Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards and Chris Finch looking pissed off
Minnesota Timberwolves most to blame for playoff series loss to ThunderJedd Pagaduan ·

On Friday night, the two rookies put on a show as they traded baskets in the first half of the game. The Hornets managed to hold the lead for the most part of the tilt but Timberwolves big man Karl Anthony-Towns still attempted to carry his team back within striking distance.

Despite the efforts, the Timberwolves failed to overcome the Hornets' lead as point guard Terry Rozier exploded for 41 points. Ball got the better of his counterpart as he produced 20 points on 8/15 shooting from the field along with 11 rebounds and four assists.

Meanwhile, Edwards was less efficient as he generated 21 points on 9/21 field goal shooting to go with six rebounds and three assists of his own. The Timberwolves ultimately ran out of time in the fourth quarter as they succumbed to a 120-114 defeat.

Despite the dissimilar performances, their first game against each other definitely gave a glimpse of what the league and its fans can expect from the two standout rookies in the years to come.