Anthony Edwards is a dog on the court, and a dog lover off it ... and that's why the NBA star's agent commissioned an artist in Los Angeles to paint a picture of his beloved bulldog, Ant Jr., and gifted it to the hooper.
Edward's agent, Omar Wilkes, knows how much Ant Jr. means to his client, so he hit up L.A.-based artist Andre Simmons to create a portrait of the pup.
We're told Wilkes -- who also reps Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young -- contacted Simmons with the idea for Anthony's birthday.
Dre tells us he started working on the painting on a Friday, and dropped it off at Klutch Sports agency the following Tuesday.
Ant Jr.'s rocking a custom No. 1 home jersey in the painting like Edwards ... who averaged over 20 points per game in his 2nd NBA season.
No word on how much Wilkes paid for the artwork ... but Andre tells us, "He [Wilkes] did pay very well for this gift."