Anthony Edwards used the commercial debut for his latest Adidas signature shoe to take playful shots at fellow NBA stars in a hilarious roast for some of his rivals.
The Minnesota Timberwolves star cracked jokes at the expense of LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and even new teammate LaMelo Ball as part of a commercial released on social media on Thursday, Sept. 17. Edwards morphed into the host of a TV show called, "Minnatlantasota," with a DJ behind him, a laugh track for his punch lines and a warning delivered over a smile on his face.
"We old school," Edwards said. "We ain't going to play it safe."
Welcome to Minnatlantasota. The Cold Blooded Anthony Edwards 3 drops tomorrow. Believe
That. pic.twitter.com/dBntrumfSa
— adidas Basketball (@adidasHoops) September 17, 2026
Anthony Edwards jokes about LeBron James, LaMelo Ball in Adidas ad
The 25-year-old took his most direct shots at James, his 2024 Paris Olympics teammate who signed with the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason. The Timberwolves were reported to be one of the teams James considered. Edwards also appeared to reference new 76ers acquisition Jaylen Brown when he teased James about his receding hairline.
"You see where big dog ended up?" Edwards said of James. "He was gonna join me in Minnesota, but I guess his knees couldn't handle the cold weather. It's cool, though. We know why he really made that decision. Philly got some of the best barbers in the world. Between him and ol' boy from Boston, they gonna have a whole lot of enhancements going on in the locker room. I'm just playing, ya'll. No pun intended."
The full ad announcing the arrival of the Anthony Edwards 3 shoe in stores as of Sept. 18 runs more than two minutes. It also features Edwards welcoming Ball as his new backcourt mate while joking about his well-documented driving mishaps.
Ball was involved in a car accident in Charlotte in February before being traded to Minnesota in July.
"I'm excited about my road dog. They brought my twin to the Twin Cities," Edwards said of Ball. "We've been working out together and doing all type of things. But one thing we ain't doing is carpooling if he driving. I ain't riding with him ya'all."
What other NBA players did Anthony Edwards mention?
Edwards included a "shoutout to my boy for winning the chip," a comment that appeared to be in reference to former Timberwolves teammate Karl-Anthony Towns. Edwards set career highs in points per game (28.8) and shot a career best 48.9% from the field and 39.9% from 3-point range last season and promised viewers in the ad, "I'm gonna be there soon, ya'll. Just wait on it."
"Everybody and they mama been asking me, 'Ant, what's the mindset this season?' It's simple, ya'll. The cage is open, and the dog is unleashed," Edwards said before displaying the Anthony Edwards 3 shoe to the audience.
He then appeared to make a joke about New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson and his father, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson.
"We ain't playing fair this year," Edwards said. "If you on the court against me, anybody could get it. Even your daddy. I don't care if he your assistant coach."
The commercial concludes with one more bit of intrigue that appeared to be a vehicle to fuel the Anthony Edwards 3 ad campaign moving forward once the 2026-27 NBA season begins in October.
"When I lace these up, it's over for all ya'll. Especially you know who," Edwards said as the camera did a close-up on his face.
The commercial closes without revealing who Edwards was talking about, and fans in the social media replies have already started to speculate about the mystery target.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anthony Edwards roasts LeBron James, LaMelo Ball in new Adidas ad
