ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe is a known fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and has popularized a meme around playoff time where he predicts their success in five games.
Well on Wednesday night, the Lakers were eliminated in five games at the hands of the six-seed Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Wolves went back to Crypto.com Arena and beat the Lakers 103-96 and celebrated in the locker room afterwards.
Sharpe’s meme involves rhyming three words together and then finishing by saying ‘Lakers in 5’.
So Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards decided to take his own nickname – Ant Man – and use it to get back at Sharpe and Lakers fans as a whole.
‘Ant Man, Batman, Superman. Lakers in 5. Sheit,’ the 23-year-old guard said as he was leaving the arena.
Anthony Edwards:“Ant man, Batman, Superman… Lakers in 5.” (via @lakeshowyo) pic.twitter.com/oXwCVOOpY3
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 1, 2025 
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards mocked Shannon Sharpe after eliminating the Lakers
Sharpe popularized a meme about the Lakers winning whatever series they’re in over 5 games
But instead, Edwards and the Timberwolves eliminated the Lakers in five games
After the elimination, Sharpe went on his ‘NightCap’ podcast and jokingly addressed his favorite team’s defeat.
‘Man, I was pressed for time, what I meant to say was Lakers going home in 5,’ Sharpe joked.
‘That’s what I meant, but y’all don’t let me finish my thoughts, my sentences.
‘If someone told me that Ant man was going to struggle shooting the ball tonight and they were going to win this game because Rudy Gobert was going to be one of the few guys in a playoff game to have a 20-20 game … Rudy Gobert came into the game averaging three points and six rebounds on the night.’
While Edwards didn’t do his best – scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds on a 5-for-19 shooting line – Gobert dropped his best playoff performance ever.
The Frenchman scored 27 points and a whopping 24 rebounds – more points than his total across the previous four games in the series.
It’s the second straight year and the third time in their last four playoff appearances that the Lakers have lost in the first round.
Next up for Minnesota is a series against either the Golden State Warriors or the Houston Rockets. The Warriors currently hold a 3-2 lead.
Unc meant the Lakers were going home in 5 y’all 🤣🤣🤣The guys react to the Timberwolves victory over the Lakers @ShannonSharpe @ochocinco @ShayShayMedia_ pic.twitter.com/XOGibso8bj
— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) May 1, 2025 
Rudy Gobert led Minnesota to the win with a playoff career high 27 points and 24 rebounds
Sharpe then mocked his selection, saying he was saying the Lakers would actually lose in five
Sharpe, age 56, has been accused of ᴀssault, Sєxual ᴀssault, battery and Sєxual battery by a woman who filed the suit as Jane Doe.
The accuser says the former NFL тιԍнт end engaged in ‘intentional infliction of emotional distress’ and is seeking $50million in damages. Sharpe has denied all of these claims.
Some doubts have been had about Sharpe’s future at ESPN, which may come to an end sooner than expected after he joined the network from Fox just last June.
After the lawsuit was filed, Sharpe made a few appearances on the network before announcing that he’d be stepping aside from his on-air roles with ESPN for an unspecified amount of time.
