Anthony Edwards “Cheat Code” to Karl-Anthony Towns in the 2026 NBA Finals

During the 2026 NBA Finals, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was not on the court but relayed game-by-game insights to his former teammate, New York Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns. Edwards said he FaceTimed Towns before each championship game, offering tips on how to handle Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs based on his extensive experience from the Timberwolves’ Western Conference semifinals matchup with San Antonio.

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Edwards and Towns were teammates on Minnesota from the 2020-21 season through 2023-24. That season the Timberwolves met the Spurs three times in the regular season and again in a six-game second-round series, giving Edwards nine total encounters with San Antonio—roughly three times the Knicks’ exposure. He leveraged that familiarity to brief Towns, who had faced the Spurs only twice in the regular season and once in the NBA Cup final.

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Edwards described his late-night calls as “turned up” and framed his advice as a “cheat code” that helped Towns navigate the Spurs’ tactics. Towns publicly thanked Edwards after the Knicks secured a five-game series win, crediting his former teammate for contributing to his leadership and performance. Both players emphasized the continuity of their friendship despite the trade that sent Towns to New York.

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• “I was turned up. It may have been like three in the morning when [Towns] FaceTimed me after the game. But yeah, I was talking to him before every game, because we play San Antonio. So you know, just give him little tips and stuff on which players like to go which way and stuff about Wemby. So yeah, I gave him a little cheat code, and he passed the test, so shoutout KAT.” — Anthony Edwards, guard, Minnesota Timberwolves

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• “I was turned up. It may have been like three in the morning when [Towns] FaceTimed me after the game. But yeah, I was talking to him before every game, because we play San Antonio. So you know, just give him little tips and stuff on which players like to go which way and stuff about Wemby. So yeah, I gave him a little cheat code, and he passed the test, so shoutout KAT.” — Anthony Edwards

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• “A huge shoutout to the all teammates I've had before coming here. Shoutout to my brother, Anthony Edwards, [I'm] talking to him all the time,” — Karl-Anthony Towns, forward, New York Knicks

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• “Those guys made me better. Made me a better leader, made me a better player, made me the man I am today. Forever grateful for them.” — Karl-Anthony Towns

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The Knicks defeated the Spurs in five games, with Wembanyama shooting 30.5 points on 56.4 % in Games 2-3 but dropping to 33.8 % overall in the series. Towns’ acknowledgment of Edwards’ input suggests the off-court collaboration contributed to the Knicks’ strategic adjustments against San Antonio’s star center.

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