Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves has faced another fine from the league, this time amounting to $75,000. The punishment, as stated by Joe Dumars, the NBA’s head of basketball operations, was for “public criticism of the officiating and using inappropriate and profane language.”Edwards made his comments after Minnesota’s defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, with a final score of 113-103.
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The officiating crew for Saturday’s game consisted of Sean Wright, Sean Corbin, and Simone Jelks. Edwards only took four free throw attempts during the match, converting three of them, which likely sparked his outburst. The Timberwolves received 25 foul shots compared to the Warriors’ 23, indicating there was not a significant difference between the two teams. However, according to Edwards, what went uncalled was a clear issue. He also picked up four personal fouls during the game.
The fine that Edwards received is the second one from the NBA in a span of two weeks. He was previously penalized $25,000 for using inappropriate language—not to criticize referees, but to commend his teammates’ defensive efforts—following a game on December 8 against Golden State. In the last five weeks, Edwards has incurred three fines from the league amounting to a total of $135,000. On November 17, the former top overall draft pick was fined $35,000 for displaying a middle finger to a fan in Sacramento. The reason behind Edwards’ action was not reported, but it was suggested that he responded to Minnesota assistant coach Corliss Williamson’s comment about him playing “soft.” There was no cursing or aggression directed at referees during that incident.
