'It's Kobe-Like': Julius Randle Shared Ultimate Praise for Teammate Anthony Edwards

Julius Randle knows a thing or two about having a supremely confident teammate, and he put Anthony Edwards on that level.

Edwards's postseason play has raised eyebrows around the NBA this season as he has taken his game to another level. Randle, his Minnesota Timberwolves teammate, has seen that kind of thing before, back during his Los Angeles Lakers days playing alongside Kobe Bryant. He compared the two in an ESPN story published on Wednesday.

"I have been around a lot of great players. He is as confident in his belief in himself as ... it's Kobe-like. And I was around Kobe," Randle told ESPN. "He's not scared of any moment and he wants those moments. His belief and confidence in who he is as a player is the highest I've ever seen or been around, for anybody."

The Timberwolves hold a 3–1 lead on the Golden State Warriors in their Western Conference semifinals series. So far in the postseason, Minnesota is 7–2 after dispatching the Lakers 4–1 in the opening round. Edwards has been the force behind the team's play in the playoffs.

So far in the postseason, Edwards is averaging 27.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals in 39.8 minutes per game. He's also shooting 36.6% from three-point range. He elevated his play in Games 3 and 4 of the conference semifinals, scoring 36 points in a 102–97 win in Game 3 and dropping 30 in a 117–110 victory in Game 4.

Edwards has confidently elevated his game at the right time, a lot like Bryant used to do. Randle has seen both up close.