Reports: Anthony Edwards has been fined $40,000 by NBA for using homophobic remarks on social media
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards drew heavy criticism for his recent actions on social media. In the now-deleted video, Edwards was seen saying “queer” to four shirtless men standing on the sidewalk. The NBA did not find it funny and gave him a penalty.
NBA Today host and ESPN journalist Malika Andrews shared a statement released by NBA Communications about the incident. League Operations president Byron Spruell announced that Edwards received a $40,000 fine for “using offensive and derogatory language on social media.” The third-year pro from Georgia did own up to his mistakes via a recent tweet. Edwards apologised by saying:
“What I said was immature, hurtful, and disrespectful, and I’m incredibly sorry. It’s unacceptable for me or anyone to use that language in such a hurtful way, there’s no excuse for it, at all. I was raised better than that.”
Edwards’ antics angered many current and former NBA stars. Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon posted a thumbs-down comment not to disagree with the penalty, but because he thought the fine was too low. Meanwhile, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shared in his Substack that what Anthony Edwards did damaged sports in general because it revives the bullying culture.
The league’s all-time leading scorer also added that more than a heartfelt apology, Edwards should repair the damage by doing volunteer community work with LGBTQ+ groups to guarantee his support.
Anthony Edwards jeopardizes a promising basketball and movie career
One instance of using derogatory language has put a stain on his rise to becoming an NBA All-Star. He immediately made an impact with the Timberwolves after being selected first overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.
While he lost the Rookie of the Year race to LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards provided value for Minnesota by averaging 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in his maiden season. Those numbers earned him an inclusion in the NBA All-Rookie First Team with Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, Saddiq Bey and Jae’Sean Tate.
In December 2021, Edwards became the seventh player in NBA history to reach 2,000 points in his first 100 games at the age of 20 or below. He also established the record for the youngest player in NBA history with 10 3-pointers made in a game. He achieved those feats in a 124-107 road victory over the Nuggets, where he finished with 38 points, five rebounds, one steal and a block.
“Ant-Man” elevated his game in year two with 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He also helped the Timberwolves reach the playoffs for only the second time in the last 18 seasons. Edwards averaged 25.2 points in six postseason games but lost to Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Besides his basketball prowess, Anthony Edwards has also shown his acting skills in Netflix’s “Hustle.” He played the role of Kermit Wilts, the film’s main antagonist, and starred alongside Adam Sandler and fellow NBA player Juancho Hernangomez. Edwards received praise for his acting debut, especially from Sandler.