Cautious After Paying Up $200,000 in Fines, Anthony Edwards Apologizes to Media Immediately Post Celtics Loss

“He’s fun to watch, he’s cocky, he’s brash, but he backs it up”. The statement from ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne perfectly encapsulates the personality that Anthony Edwards displays whenever he gets to be on the court. Within the span of just four years, the Minnesota Timberwolves have become the face of the NBA’s future, having established remarkable individual stats and elevating his team to a different level.

However, Edwards’ competitive and ‘cocky’ demeanor often causes him to engage in unsportsmanlike actions. In fact, it has cost him an amount that the majority of people on this earth may not ever see come their way. Therefore, just like Jake Peralta, Edwards is taking ‘baby steps’.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star recently addressed the media in the aftermath of his team’s 118-115 loss against the Boston Celtics. When a reporter asked the player if his current performance was an indication of what can be expected in future games too, Edwards replied back with a “Hell No”.

Instantly, however, he added regretfully, “I’m sorry. Is that a cussing word?” Fortunately, it was not, and even a few people around him encouraged the player to say it if he wanted to.

The recent matchup marked the Timberwolves’ 2 consecutive loss. It also placed the team’s win record down to 17-16. Therefore, no one could have blamed Anthony Edwards for getting a little bit frustrated in the game’s aftermath. However, Edwards being a little loose with his language has gotten him into enough trouble by now. Since the commencement of the ongoing NBA season, the 23-year-old has been fined a total of four times. The amount has been accumulated up to a whopping $200,000!

The first fine was given out during a matchup, between the Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings, held around Mid-November. Anthony Edwards had put out his ‘middle finger’ in the direction of a reported Kings fan. It was an action that the NBA considered an obscene gesture. Later, after a Timberwolves-Warriors game held on December 8, Edwards was fined $25,000 “for using profane language during a media interview.”

When the Timberwolves suffered another loss at the hands of Stephen Curry and co back on December 21, the 2x NBA All-Star criticized the referees by stating “They’re f***ing terrible. All of ’em, besides the woman. But the other two dudes, terrible. Excuses for the reason they call a foul, the reason they don’t call a foul. That s*** was terrible.” This statement caused the NBA to impose a $75,000 fine “for public criticism of officiating and using inappropriate and profane language” with the media during the post-game period.

The NBA star received his biggest fine of the season, $100,000, less than a week ago. Why? Well, Edwards had hit a game-winning shot to beat the Houston Rockets. It capped a 16-point comeback in the final four minutes. During his post-game interview, he exclaimed, “Man all I knew was the play was for Drew to go 14, big small pick and roll, once he picked it up –– I gotta go get it, s***, Nickeil found me. He cut me off. I’m like, s*** I’m going for the win. Like Gilbert Arenas said, ‘I don’t do overtime.’ So, f*** it.” These back-to-back cuss words was enough to earn the player the six-figure fine.

In light of all of this, Anthony Edwards would not want to take any further chances. He may be playing under a 5-year, $244.623 million contract, but $200,000 is still too much for fines. It’s a good thing that the Timberwolves is now being more cautious in what he says. However, given his history of letting his intrusive thoughts win, the player should have started improving himself a while ago.

Anthony Edwards had to once apologize for comments that reportedly came off as ‘homophobic’: “I was raised better than that!”

Back in September 2022, Anthony Edwards came under fire after he posted a video on his Instagram story. The same featured him filming the video from inside a car, with the window rolled down. His attention was soon diverted towards a group of four shirtless men, who were standing on the sidewalk. Edwards went ahead and mocked them by calling them “queer”. As the person sitting beside him in the car laughed, Edwards then added “Look what the world done came to”.

Amidst backlash, however, Anthony Edwards deleted the story. Taking to X, he wrote “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!” The Minnesota Timberwolves management also put out a statement, stating that they were “disappointed in the language and actions Anthony Edwards displayed on social media”.

A major part of the NBA season still remains. For many Timberwolves fans, the upcoming weeks will be filled with anticipation, as they wait to see whether the squad can improve their win record. Some of them, meanwhile, may also be on the lookout for whether Anthony Edwards will incur additional fines, or not.