WATCH: Michael Irvin makes Anthony Edwards awkward after a kiss on NBA star's cheek

Michael Irvin was on hand at Target Center to watch the Minnesota Timberwolves defeat the Golden State Warriors 117-93 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals. The NFL Hall of Famer sat courtside during the game on Thursday night as Anthony Edwards went on a 20-point run for the home team.

After the game, Irvin was seen congratulating the Timberwolves star on the victory. The two shook hands, hugged and exchanged a few words before posing for a photo together. However, that wasn't the end of their encounter.

What happened next quickly went viral on social media. After the photo was snapped, Irvin proceeded to kiss Anthony Edwards on the cheek. The NBA star was taken aback by the unexpected move and walked away from Irvin after that.

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The clip of Irvin kissing Edwards on the cheek was actually caught on the TNT broadcast as the camera panned to find the Timberwolves star. Fans on social media quickly rushed to judge the encounter as the former NFL wide receiver was clearly giddy after the big win and thought the moment called for a kiss on the cheek.

Anthony Edwards played 34 minutes despite leaving the game early with an ankle injury. The Minnesota Timberwolves tied the series 1-1 after Thursday's win.

Anthony Edwards addressed 'love' for Michael Irvin after courtside meetup

After Anthony Edwards's encounter with Michael Irvin on the court at Target Center, he spoke with the "NBA on TNT" broadcast. Lauren Jbara, who was courtside, asked Edwards if the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver had any special words for him after the big win.

Ant revealed that he had met Michael Irvin previously. He then said that he had 'nothing but love' for the former NFL wide receiver. Edwards, however, didn't reveal what Irvin said to him during their interaction.

Lauren Jbara: "Ant, did Michael have some words for you there?"

Anthony Edwards: "Yeah, that's OG, man. I met him before, man. I got nothing but love for him."

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As for Edwards, the fact that he was able to return to the game and finish it despite the ankle injury appears to be a good sign moving forward in the season.

About the author

Bethany Cohen is an NFL writer at Sportskeeda, with a rich prior 15-year experience in the sports writing industry, primarily covering the MLB and MiLB. She majored in Communications from the University of South Florida and has previously worked for top companies such as Examiner.com and Legends on Deck.

Bethany owes her NFL allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers owing to their long-standing tradition and competitiveness. She is a fan of old stalwarts such as Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris and would love to watch them in the 1970s if she manages to get her hand on a time machine. She also acknowledges the greatness of modern icons like T.J. Watt for his desire to continuously improve despite being on top. She admires coaches Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid for their longevity and success.

The ace reporter credits her knowledge and love for the sport to be her biggest reporting strengths. Prior fact-checking is a big component of her process and she always scours through additional sources to ensure complete accuracy in her content.

Super Bowl XLIII, when the Steelers won the the grand prize after Santonio Holmes’ epic catch in the end zone with just seconds left on the clock is etched in Bethany’s memory forever. When she is free of her professional commitments, she likes to attend sports events and music concerts.

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Edited by Satagni Sikder