Anthony Edwards looks determined to reach another level this season. The Minnesota Timberwolves superstar erupted for 40-plus points in a season opener once again, this time against the Miami Heat on Wednesday.

Edwards led his team to a 131-106 win, and his historic opening-night performance has the NBA world excited about what could be next.

NBA World Reacts As Anthony Edwards Makes History vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Heat

Miami entered the season with high expectations after adding Giannis Antetokounmpo to a veteran-laden roster already featuring Bam Adebayo. The pairing was expected to make the Heat difficult to score against. Instead, Edwards and Minnesota’s offense took control, building a lead that reached 30 points at Kaseya Center.

Edwards finished with a game-high 45 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 9-for-17 from beyond the arc and 55.2% from the field. He also broke his own franchise record for the most points scored in a season opener.

The 25-year-old previously scored 41 points in last season’s opener against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Edwards delivered one of the night’s most memorable highlights in the second quarter. With just over a minute remaining, he read Adebayo’s pass, stole the ball, and took off for a powerful fast-break dunk.

The performance put the four-time All-Star in rare company. He became just the third player in NBA history to record multiple 40-point season openers, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan. Chamberlain did it four times, while Jordan reached the mark three times.

His numbers quickly sparked excitement across social media.

NBA Central declared: “ANT’s MVP CAMPAIGN HAS STARTED.”

Even a Heat fan account had to give him credit, writing:

“Anthony Edwards is playing at an MVP level tonight… You honestly just have to respect it. He’s not missing.”

Another basketball account called Edwards a “Top 5 MVP favorite for a reason.”

Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor praised his continued shooting development, writing:

“Monster performance. Ant became one of the NBA’s best 3-point shooters over the last two years and looks even better now.”

NBA content creator Six Rings of Steel also looked beyond opening night, predicting:

“Scoring title is in his future.”

Minnesota’s long-range shooting made the difference. The Timberwolves hit 21 3-pointers compared with Miami’s 8.

Antetokounmpo also had a big night, scoring 35 points in his Miami debut, but his effort wasn’t enough to keep the Heat close.

Edwards’ performance was even more encouraging because it came alongside new teammate LaMelo Ball, who recorded 21 points and 6 assists in his first outing with the Timberwolves.

Ball’s playmaking could give Edwards more chances to attack defenses without having to create on too many possessions himself.

The challenge now is sustaining that level across a full season. Edwards will face stiff competition from Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama in the MVP conversation, but with Ball helping run the offense, Minnesota could give him even more room to shine.