Every time Adidas drops an Anthony Edwards sneaker commercial, it’s provocative. But to their credit, they have some of the most creative ads ever in sports history. They align with the Minnesota Timberwolves star’s personality. Three months ago, last October, Katt Williams and Edwards took a wild shot at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Converse in a viral ad. And now, it’s everybody else’s turn to feel the burn, especially Luka Doncic.

After Edwards’ selection to the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, Adidas launched the “I’m the top dog” commercial featuring the Timberwolves star in the Adidas AE 2 “Lucid Orange,” going up against some of the league’s top players.

Doncic has been in the news over the past few seasons due to his weight and conditioning issues. Rightfully so, analysts have long considered him a defensive liability, whom opponents target late in games. The video featured an animated figure that appeared to be the Los Angeles Lakers star, struggling to breathe while defending Edwards.

“Late game fatiguing” showed up as text for the segment, and Edwards comfortably made the shot while saying “Lightwork ahh!”

However, it wasn’t just Doncic in the commercial. Video game characters that looked like Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Giannis Antetokounmpo all featured in the video, and Edwards sank all his shots.

“Man, I’m my only competition,” Edwards told his friend in the ad.

This commercial drops just a few months after Adidas took a shot at the reigning NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and his SHAI 001 debut sneakers with Converse.

On the other hand, Edwards and Doncic have a history too. They faced each other in the 2024 Western Conference Finals, where Doncic outperformed the Timberwolves’ star and led his team to the NBA Finals, where they then faced the Boston Celtics. Reports at the time stated that Edwards had to be sidelined for more than 2 minutes in Game 2 and needed an oxygen mask to recover.

While Doncic and the other players in the Adidas commercial have been successful in recent years, Edwards is arguably the most entertaining star in the NBA right now. His sneaker ads are as edgy as his personality, and perhaps that captures fans’ attention every time. However, what is interesting is that when the Lakers’ star faced heavy criticism for his weight, Edwards came to his defense.

Anthony Edwards addressed Luka Doncic’s weight concerns

After Nico Harrison stunned the world with his decision to trade Luka Doncic last year, the Mavericks didn’t just stop there. The former GM infamously said, “Defense wins championships,” taking a shot at the Slovenian star. Further reports from Dallas said the front office had concerns about Doncic’s fitness.

According to Christian Clark, Mike Vorkunov, and Fred Katz of The Athletic, there was an internal understanding that “Doncic’s body would break down possibly sooner than anyone would suspect.”

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And even when Doncic was out of Dallas, the shots kept coming. During the All-Star Weekend last season, reporters asked Edwards about Doncic getting flak for his weight issues. The Timberwolves star said that weight was irrelevant for a player of that caliber.

“He didn’t look 270 to me,” Edwards said. “Man, he averages 30 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds. I don’t give a damn if you 300. You fine with me.”

Doncic entered this season in far better shape, though, and his offseason conditioning and long-term durability received as much attention as the weight issue, if not more. So, with the Lakers star shedding 30 pounds, fans now hope the two franchise players meet in the playoffs.