Heartwarming story! Edwards' lucky charm: An orange bracelet changed the Timberwolves' season?

In the Western Conference G3, Edwards efficiently scored 30 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists, leading the Timberwolves to a 42-point victory over the Thunder, bringing the overall score to 1-2. More and more fans are noticing the orange bracelet on Edwards' left wrist, which was given to him by Luca Wright, a 6-year-old child with leukemia. Now, it's like Edwards' lucky charm, which has always been with him. Timberwolves reporter Krawczynski reported on the heartwarming story.

In January, when the Timberwolves were at their lowest point of the season, Luka from Michigan met Edwards and the team for the first time. "It means everything," Edwards said, "and it means a lot to me." ”

On January 4, local time, when Edwards met Luka for the first time after the Detroit game against the Pistons, he promised to wear the bracelet on the court forever. Since then, the Wright family has received constant requests from Timberwolves fans for rubber bracelets that read "Love Like Luca," and everyone has been moved by the story of Luka and Edwards.

"We never thought Edwards would wear it and say 'bro, I'll wear it for you,'" said Luca's mother, Lacey, "It's incredible, Luca watches every day, loves Edwards so much and talks about him every day." ”

For Luka, the encounter with the star and the team was a "life-changing". He has always loved basketball and became obsessed with Michael Jordan after watching the original "Space Jam" and never missed any opportunity to play with his father.

"Basketball got him through everything," Lacey said, "and keeping him strong is something he's always looking forward to." He may be in the hospital for 8 hours of chemotherapy and will still shoot with his dad when he comes home. Basketball has always been very, very important to him. ”

The story began at the beginning of the year, when Dreniowski, a well-known influencer, launched a campaign to find children in the Detroit area who love basketball. A friend of Lacey's sister recommended Luca and told Drenhowski that the kid was obsessed with basketball, but was diagnosed with leukemia on December 21, 2023 (at the age of 5), and has been on a long and difficult road to treatment ever since.

Dreniowski contacted Lacey's sister, and things moved quickly. On Jan. 2, when Luka and his father, Larry, were shopping at a local dollar tree store, Drenyeovski had a surprise in store for them: he asked Luca to choose between $1,000 in cash or a mystery basketball. As a die-hard fan, Luka opted for basketball and earned a sideline ticket to the Pistons' game against the Timberwolves two days later.

Timberwolves owner Rodriguez's girlfriend, Corderro, is friends with Dreniowski and lives in the same area as the Wrights. Upon learning of the situation, she coordinated with Edwards' team to arrange a post-match meeting.

The timing was just right, Lacey said. If the match had been a month earlier, Luka's body would not have been able to travel at all – the treatment at the time had left him physically tormented.

"Sometimes he can't walk, he can't get up," she said, "and we have to carry him to the bathroom or help him get dressed." But in January, Luca entered the maintenance phase of treatment and his body was responding well. Parents know that taking him to the game will not only heal his mind, but also allow them to take a breather on their own. Little did they know that night would end with Luka handing out bracelets to players in the Timberwolves locker room.

"It gave him a whole new motivation because he's so obsessed with basketball," Lacey said.

As much as Luka is eager to meet the Timberwolves, the players may need to meet him even more. At the time, the team had just suffered a 105-119 loss to the Pistons, suffering a three-game losing streak and dropping its season record to 17-17. This team was supposed to come out of the 2024 divisional finals, but the start of the season was full of twists and turns and failed to live up to expectations.

Edwards was particularly frustrated, taking just 16 shots against the Celtics on Jan. 3 and admitting after the game that he had lost the fun of facing "a defense that was aimed at him and forced him to pass" – a warning sign for a player known for his passion on the court. As if to prove himself, he shot 31 times against the Pistons, hit 10 three-pointers, and scored 53 points, but still couldn't escape the rout.

After the game, Luka waited for Edwards on the sidelines. The latter let go of his frustration and came out of the dressing room to meet Luca. Lukka handed him the orange bracelet (orange is the symbol of leukemia prevention), and Edwards put it on and promised the boy, "I will wear it for the rest of my life." ”

Edwards then walked Luka into the Timberwolves locker room and introduced him to everyone. Edwards wasn't alone in the slump: Randle was still looking for an offensive rhythm, DiVincenzo was adapting after moving from the Knicks starter to the bench, and Conley couldn't find his shooting touch.

'It was a tough time of the season,' Conley said, "and we didn't play well and we were frustrated on the pitch for all sorts of reasons. But when the child and his family walked in, it was like a surge of energy, and the lights were lit. You will forget about the game for a while and focus on this child. ”

Seeing a kid battling a life-threatening illness has finally made many Timberwolves players realize what matters most. They laughed and shook Luca's hand, and they asked for the bracelet.

"Seeing him walk into the locker room with Edwards and listen to his story, I suddenly saw everything," said Alexander Walker, "and life is too short to worry about a basketball game." When you see children with dreams, trying to do what normal children should do, and experiencing struggles that are heavier than basketball, I am deeply touched and I have found my original intention. ”

From that moment on, the Timberwolves soared to sixth in the West with a 32-16 record, directly securing a playoff spot and avoiding the play-in tournament。 During that time, they ranked fifth in offensive efficiency and sixth in defensive efficiency, with only the Thunder, Cavaliers and Celtics winning more. In the first two rounds of the playoffs, they eliminated the Lakers and Warriors with two 4-1 scores, advancing to the division finals for the first time in a row for the second year in a row.

There are many reasons why the Timberwolves have found their form in the final 48 games, most of which are directly related to basketball: Randle regained his position after returning from injury, Conley was getting better, DiVincenzo became a tough offensive and defensive guard off the bench, and coach Finch found the key to keep the team running.

But the NBA season is long and tough, and when they met Luka, the Timberwolves were still gritting their teeth to find out.

Is this bracelet the starting point of a winning streak? Probably not. But do the Timberwolves need a realistic wake-up call? Absolutely.

"Let's play and enjoy the game," Conley remembers thinking, "It's a dream job, a dream opportunity." This child wants to be us one day, and we should cherish it. Edwards has always had that in mind, and I think it inspired him and many other players as well. ”

Luka's encounter with the Timberwolves in Detroit is just the beginning of the story. Drenyeovski contacted the NBA to arrange a trip to the San Francisco All-Star Game for Luka in February, and the latter made a surprise appearance at a press conference to see Edwards again.

In Game 5 of the second round between the Timberwolves and the Warriors, Luka visited the Timberwolves' home target center for the first time. He wore an Edwards jersey from the San Francisco All-Star Game and wide-brimmed sunglasses similar to Edwards.

"When I was shooting, his dad was holding him, and I didn't realize until two or three minutes before the warm-up," Edwards said after the 22 points and 12 assists that eliminated the Warriors. Thank you Luca, I love Luca. ”

Timberwolves fans recognized him immediately. A crowd gathered around to pray for him and his father for a speedy recovery, and Lukka distributed bracelets to everyone who asked for them—hundreds of them.

"It made him feel special," Lacey said, "and once he told me, 'Mom, I'm famous. That's when I thought he realized that it had gone beyond the meaning of 'seeing idols.' ”

As the Timberwolves make their way through the playoffs, the craze intensifies. In the first round against the Lakers, when LeBron James touched Edwards' wrist and bracelet was ripped off, fans were worried online, fearing that he would lose his "lucky charm".

But don't worry: Edwards' best friend Maddox contacted the Wrights shortly after they first met, asking for as many spare bracelets as they could. They were placed on the Timberwolves' bench just in case.

In a crucial video replay at the end of Game 4 against the Lakers, the referee tried to determine whether James fouled Edwards on his wrist before he touched the ball out of bounds. In the end, the referee ruled that James had committed a foul, and the Timberwolves were able to retain possession of the ball and win 116-113.

While the bracelet didn't necessarily play a role in the decision, thousands of "amateur video analysts" on social media said they saw the bracelet move. In their eyes, this meant that James must have touched Edwards' wrist. As many people know, it was Luca's bracelet.

Like all children today, seeing his name and bracelet swiped on social media has made Luca feel confident.

"He's still very young, and I know he understands it now, but he probably won't fully understand it until he's older," Lacey said, "and I think he'll look back and say, 'Wow, that's really special.'" ”

And here's the best news: Lacey says Luca is on the horizon for a long and healthy life. His body is responding well to the treatment, and the last treatment is scheduled for February next year. Now he is playing junior baseball, going to school normally, and living the life of an ordinary child as much as possible.

Nowadays, many people hope that this bracelet will have a little magic left。 In the Western Conference Finals, Edwards and the Timberwolves were 2-0 behind the top seed Thunder, and the first two games in Oklahoma City were completely underdogs. They seem to need more power than basketball to turn things around, and Saturday's Game 3 at the Target Center was the starting point. Will this 42-point win be a turning point in the series?

Luka watched from afar while welcoming life's big moments: he turns seven next week, and his family is planning a big birthday party. Last year, he was unable to hold a birthday party due to illness.

"So this year we're going to have a big Timberwolves-themed party. It's all really ......," Mother Lacey choked up, "it's so cool. ”