Anthony Edwards injury update: Conflicting reports emerges on Timberwolves star's DNP in All-Star Game

Yet another of the biggest stars in the NBA did not play out of nowhere tonight in the All-Star Game.

Anthony Edwards did not play for Team Kenny in the first matchup of the night on Sunday against Team Chuck. ESPN’s Marc Spears has since reported that Edwards said he was out with a groin injury while a separate source told him it was for a cold as well.

“Anthony Edwards said he missed the game due to a groin injury. Another source said he was battling a cold, too,” Spears tweeted.

This comes after LeBron James too was out of this event late in dealing with an injury to his foot and ankle. That means the top-two picks in the draft for this game were unable or didn’t give it a go on Sunday.

That is now part of a larger discussion about issues regarding NBA All-Star Weekend. Criticism has come the past few years in how much interest there is in it altogether anymore, including from the players themselves. That doesn’t mean these players should take the floor if they aren’t healthy, especially with the league’s postseason still to come, but it doesn’t look the best when two of the top names of the association don’t appear in their showcase – and certainly so considering how late each were ruled out of the game.

Without him, Team Kenny lost at 42-31 to Team Chuck. Tyler Herro (Miami Heat), Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers), and Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers) tied with six points apiece to lead the team in scoring in the absence of Edwards.

This was the third of the All-Star selections of Edwards’ career. It’s from his fifth overall season with the Minnesota Timberwolves where Edwards is having a career-best season in averaging 27.5 points (44% FG, 41.4% 3PT), 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals. Those points, rebounds, and three-point numbers are all the best yet for him as a pro.

The Wolves will need Edwards to be healthy, whether with his groin or because of the illness, for the rest of their regular season as they’re currently at 31-25 overall and would be in the Play-In Tournament in the Western Conference. Still, him being out, as well as the nature of it, was a disappointment on one of the bigger nights for the league.