Former NBA #2 pick critiques LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and co for 'tacky' postgame interactions: "It ain't cute or wavy"
LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards are in the NBA headlines for the wrong reasons. The league fined Ball $100,000 for allegedly making a homophobic slur that was deemed “offensive and derogatory.” Edwards hasn’t received a fine for profanity-laden dialogues with reporters but could be penalized as well.
In an X post on Sunday, Evan Turner, the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft, had this to say about players going out of bounds in postgame interviews:
“I might sound like an old head but the excessive language in postgame interviews is starting to get tacky. 12 year olds carelessly use curse words lol we as athletes are smart enough to articulate ourselves for 3 mins without cursing. It ain’t cute or wavy lol.”
LaMelo Ball made the alleged homophobic slur after the Hornets’ 115-114 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. When asked by a reporter about their defense against Giannis Antetokounmpo in a crucial play, the point guard said:
“On that last play, when he took the shot? We loaded up — no homo — but that’s what we wanted, put a hand up and lived with the result.”
Anthony Edwards’ controversy happened after the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 130-126 overtime win against the Sacramento Kings on Friday. After the game, the explosive guard told reporters that he had been looking “to dunk on one of their a**es.”
When asked to comment about his rim-rattling slam over Domantas Sabonis, Edwards said:
“Hmm, motherf**ker. Yeah, that felt good. That felt good, hell yeah.”
The profanities could cost Edwards $25K each.
Over the years, players have been penalized for postgame comments that the NBA explicitly prohibits. LaMelo Ball was the latest to be added to the list.
Nikola Jokic once said “no homo” in a 2018 interview after the Denver Nuggets beat the Chicago Bulls 108-107 on the road. In 2022, Anthony Edwards was fined $40K for reportedly making anti-gay slurs on Instagram. Last season, Cam Thomas shelled $40K for another “no homo” comment.
LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards apologized for their homophobic language
Following Anthony Edwards’ controversial Instagram post in 2022, the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise cornerstone apologized. He wrote on X, formerly Twitter:
“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!”
LaMelo Ball did the same thing before the Charlotte Hornets game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. He faced the media to say this (via The Charlotte Observer):
“Before we get started, I just want to address the comment yesterday. I really didn’t mean anything (by it) and don’t want to offend anybody. I’ve got love for everybody, and I don’t discriminate.”