It's the shades that set this generation's image apart.

Justin Jefferson wears a pair of white Oakleys on the ESPN set, while Anthony Edwards' pearly whites compliment his dark, polarized lenses.

The pop culture peers also are sporting more ice than the duo that came before them:

In the original photo, Randy Moss wore diamond studs, and Kevin Garnett boasted miniature gold hoops and a nondescript band around his left wrist. Now, Jefferson pairs larger diamond studs with a layered diamond chain; Edwards also a wears a necklace, along with a black hoop through his right earlobe.

Different times. Different styles. Same aura.

"Everybody in Minnesota knows the photo," Jefferson says, grinning. "Two superstars in the state of Minnesota; they were on the top of the league in basketball and football."

He's right, of course, except for one thing: People far beyond the Minnesota borders know the image.

Jon Krawczynski, now an esteemed senior writer for the Athletic, was a 21-year-old Minnesota sports buff and aspiring journalist when the Sport cover was released in March 2000.

"One of the things that made that image so special was that Kevin Garnett and Randy Moss were not just local heroes to all the sports fans in Minnesota and surrounding region, but they were hugely popular around the country," Krawczynski recalled. "And so for an area of the country that often gets overlooked – you know, we get diminished all the time because it's cold here; people in other parts of the country think we're just some frozen outpost and there's nothing cool here – that was one of the first time since Prince that, 'Hey, Minnesota is cool.' "

Krawczynski called Garnett and Moss state symbols, the latter coming off his third NFL season and third straight with more than 1,300 receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns. Garnett, the elder of the two by a year, already had five Timberwolves seasons under his belt and two of averaging a double-double per outing.

For the first time in forever, Krawczynski noted, Minnesota was at the forefront.

"I think it gave a lot of people around here incredible pride," he said. "These guys were their people, and they were becoming stars and lifting everyone up on their shoulders."

The original image was taken by the late photographer Tim Mantoani, who so perfectly captured not only youthful energy but also the essence – the fun – of winning.

But it was Garnett's spontaneous suggestion that turned a rather standard, editorial photoshoot on its head that day:

Why not switch jerseys?

"It was the perfect spin to take what would have been a cool photo and make it into an iconic photo," Krawczynski said. "Because what K.G. did [with that idea], it actually made these superhuman athletes – that run faster, jump higher, are taller, are more athletic, are wealthier – like sports fans of each other.

"How many Minnesota sports fans had their own Moss jersey, had their own Garnett jersey, and wore them to games?" added Krawczynski, who in his own collection had a white 21 Wolves jersey and purple 84 Moss. "So now to see each one of them wearing the opposite jersey, that told us they weren't just these amazing athletes, they weren't just these superstar personalities but, really, they were also sports fans – and that made them just like us."

ESPN reporter Jamal Collier doesn't remember the first time he saw the original; but the photo and what it stood for? That remains a vivid memory from his childhood. Two athletes, the "epitome of cool," who changed the way kids viewed their respective sports.

Collier recalled he and his friends "Mossing" one another backyard football games outside Chicago. When they played NBA 2K, they'd scroll to select and play as the Timberwolves.

"Seeing those two in that space, as young Black athletes who were really taking over a city, that was tremendously impactful for me growing up," Collier said.

It's what makes this project so meaningful for him – executing the photo recreation fans have long-since clamored for.

Suggestions have popped up periodically on social media, the proposed remakes including the likes of Kevin Love and Adrian Peterson or Karl-Anthony Towns and Stefon Diggs, all stars in their own right for a period of time in Minnesota.

But over the past couple of years, requests for the Edwards-Jefferson pairing increased exponentially.

"Like everybody else, I had seen the call again and again for these two guys to be the one to recreate the photo," Collier said, "and one of the driving forces of the story for me was, 'Why?' "

What makes this the time – and Jefferson and Edwards the pair – to tap deeply into nostalgia and roll out a 2.0, if you will?

Collier answered just that question before tackling such a dynamic project.

"These really felt like the right guys. Because of attitude, because of success, because of their charisma. Because of how cool they are and the success they both had early and young into their careers," Collier told Vikings.com. "Anthony Edwards, the way he's emerged the last few years really first interested me in his portion of the story. And then seeing Justin [truly] transcend the sport – the Netflix deal, the dance (the Griddy), the way that people respond to him.

"They both have a lot of parallels to each other," Collier added.

Drafted No. 1 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft and No. 22^nd in the 2020 NFL Draft, respectively, Edwards and Jefferson each relocated to the Midwest during a time drastically altered by the COVID-pandemic.

Over the past four-plus years, Jets and The Ant Man have taken their respective leagues by storms, breaking records, sparking trends and generating new fans throughout the country and even the world.

They connect deeply with their Southern roots – Edwards from Atlanta and Jefferson from New Orleans – and yet also quickly adopted Minnesota as home. And perhaps most notable is that each has planted new roots in the Twin Cities: Edwards signed a contract extension with the Timberwolves in July 2023, and Jefferson did so with the Vikings in July 2024.

"They're different and charismatic in their own ways," Collier said. "But to show their rises here and both of them doubling down [recently] to say, 'No, we didn't just get drafted here. We are choosing Minnesota, making this our home and really embracing the fans and the culture here' – those were the things that made me really excited about this story."

There's a natural easiness between Edwards and Jefferson.

The two haven't spent much time together, except for attending each other's games, but put them in a room together, and conversation – and competition – flows smoother than Edwards' jump shot.

Ant Man believes without a shadow of a doubt he could transition to the NFL tomorrow and play safety – a claim prompting Jefferson to throw his head back in laughter.

"The first hit, you'd be done," Jets ribs.

It's much more likely that Jefferson could move from hashmarks to hardwood … right?

Let's pull back the curtain on Act II:

Jefferson: "Just with my athletic ability, I'm gonna score at least—"

Edwards: "No – not in the NBA!"

Jefferson (demonstrating ball skills while sitting on a sofa: "You're crazy. I was athletic. I was able to move, cut — you know what I'm sayin'? I mean, the ball might not come with me, but — "

(Both erupt in laughter. End scene.)

Like with Moss and Garnett, this photoshoot isn't only about snapping a photo. It's about tapping into the personalities of each superstar.

Edwards and Jefferson play a game of UNO, arguing over the "actual" rules, then move into a warehouse-type space to discover a basketball hoop. A game of H-O-R-S-E takes off, except Edwards steps back, shoots, follows through … and sends a football sailing through the net. Jefferson doesn't miss a beat. The receiver steps into position, releases the basketball and watches it arc through the air and cleanly through the hoop.

Nothing but net.

Even playing each other's sport, the athleticism is undeniable. The swagger saturates.

They carry that energy to a solid white photo backdrop and pose comfortably together. As the shutter snaps and off-camera flashes pop, Edwards and Jefferson move in rhythm with one another, casually continuing conversation and pausing every few seconds for a smile, a smolder, a stare.

Pregame warmups complete, they don the jerseys – Edwards pulling on a Vikings Classic No. 18, and Jefferson slipping into a black No. 5, admiring the evergreen-tree trim that's remained a fan-favorite throwback.

The banter continues even then, but an earlier portion of the interview communicates just how much reverence these young athletes have for those who paved the way.

"They definitely had Minnesota on lockdown. We're the two next ones, for sure," Jefferson had said.

"I mean, they're the GOATs of Minnesota – and we're tryin' to be. We started in the right place, and we're tryin' to keep going that way (forward)," Edwards said. "I feel like in order for us to follow those footsteps, we gotta do the same thing. But we're gonna be a little more swaggy –

"—put our own little sauce to it," Jefferson interjected with a smile. "What makes us, us."

Looking at an enlarged copy of the Garnett-Moss photo hanging nearby, Jefferson's tone becomes more serious.

"Seeing Randy's highlights, being a fan of Randy, I mean, every time he had the ball in his hand, he was doing something spectacular," he said.

"For two guys, young guys at that, to be rising stars in Minnesota, following behind Randy Moss and my dog, you know, Kevin Garnett, it's just so great to be in this position to have Minnesota behind your back," Jefferson later added.

Twenty-four years later, "The Photo" has been recreated.

"It's done, and you know, we're kind of able to give people what they wanted to see," Jefferson said, grinning.

Collier hopes ESPN's rendition connects with fans across the country as the original Sport shoot once did.

"It's fun because these guys both, there's such natural parallels to Moss and Garnett – from their 'coolness' factor, their success on the field and for the city that they play in," Collier said. "And there's a charisma and personality, you know, to both Justin and Ant on the field, and the persona that people see from them. But there's also this very human nature to them.

"Just the natural, funny personalities that they have, interacting with their teammates, interacting with friends, I'm really kind of hoping to give a more well-rounded, human view and scope of both these star athletes that people see from afar," Collier added. "Both have become ambassadors for their game … and there's a reason their personalities have broken through to people, because they both do have a lot of layers to them – a lot of fun layers that I think sports fans really see as a throwback to a previous generation."

Jefferson and Edwards want to carry the torches from Moss and Garnett. The latter stars strived to bring championships to Minnesota, and the younger ones will continue that effort.

Krawczynski thought back over his years of Twin Cities fandom that grew into an illustrious career covering those teams he loved as a youngster. He sees what makes Jefferson and Edwards special.

"There are hundreds of athletes that have come before them that come in and immediately have their eyes on something bigger – on a bigger city, a bigger media market, glitzier – all of that stuff – and both Justin and Ant, I think, really relish the challenge and the opportunity to go their own way," Krawczynski said. "They both understand that if they win in Minnesota, it's something new.

"They both want to do that," he added. "They're not distracted by the flashy lights. They want to do this here, and they want to be their own people and carve their own paths."

It's a responsibility Jefferson doesn't take lightly.

He recently thought back to the photoshoot, several weeks having passed by, and paused for a moment before reflecting.

"Thinking about the photo, just thinking about Randy Moss being an all-time great, of course Kevin Garnett being also an all-time great," Jefferson said, "being a kid and watching those two players and now growing up and being in the same city – and people want me to recreate this iconic photo? It's pretty sick.

"I'm glad I'm involved and glad that I'm able to recreate the photo and give the people what they want to see," he added, looking up and grinning into the camera. "So, hope y'all like it."

Written by Lindsey Young

Photos captured by Michael Hirschuber

Click here to see Collier's ESPN feature and photoshoot.