Getty Anthony Edwards
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards admitted he’d take his punishment for criticizing the officials in a 107-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He got it, and then some.
In a postgame interview with Bally Sports North’s Lea B. Olsen after the win on January 29, Edwards said, “I’mma take the fine because the refs did not give us no calls tonight. We had to play through every bump, every grab. I don’t know. I don’t know how we won tonight.”
The NBA’s response to the criticism: a $40,000 fine — well above the typical $25,000 mark other NBA players have received in the past. The NBA cited the increased fine due to several cases of Edwards criticizing the officials after he was captured on camera with a more adult critique of the officials.
“Cheatin’ a** refs,” Edwards said.
End of game Ant: “Cheatin’ ass refs”
Anthony Edwards States His Case for More Foul Calls, Compares to Thunder Star Shae Gilgeous-Alexander
GettyAnthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves shared thoughts on Stephen Curry after beating the Golden State Warriors.
Edwards going public with his frustrations isn’t unf0unded.
The 22-year-old is one of basketball’s rising stars in a league that has seen preferential treatment given at the charity stripe. That’s not to say Edwards isn’t getting his fair share. Edwards is averaging 6.6 free-throw attempts per game — tied for 15th in the NBA as of January 30.
However, Edwards has seen first-hand the type of calls Thunder star Shae Gilgeous-Alexander has drawn this year and openly critiqued the discrepancy in the calls he draws as a more aggressive driver in the paint.
“It’s hard to with the calls that Shai gets,” Edwards said after the teams’ previous meeting on January 20, a 102-97 Timberwolves loss. “It’s hard to shut them down. You can’t touch him any time of the game. It’s super hard to beat. That team is a good team, especially when they’re getting calls like that.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, 25, has had the whistle in his favor this season. He is averaging 9.2 attempts per game, trailing only stars like Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.
Edwards has maintained that the league’s brightest stars seem to be under a watchful eye and likely won’t stop pushing until he gets the same respect from the officials.
“I don’t know how they lose a game when he plays like that and he always plays like that,” Edwards said after a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on December 20, per The Star Tribune. “Especially when the refs are calling it like that, there’s nothing you can do. You can’t put a finger on him. He’s up there, man.”
Timberwolves Poised to Make History at All-Star Game
GettyTimberwolves stars Karl-Anthony Towns (left), Anthony Edwards (middle), Rudy Gobert (right)
At 34-14, the Timberwolves are the No. 1 team in the West and have been for the majority of the 2023-24 season — and that’s been on the shoulders of Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and Edwards.
The team has pushed for the star trio to all be named All-Stars this year. All three missed the cut as starters but have a chance to be the first Timberwolves trio to make the game in franchise history when the reserves are announced on Thursday, February 1.
The Timberwolves have sent two players to the All-Star Game four times in franchise history — the most recent being Towns and Jimmy Butler in 2017-18.
“It’d be a heck of an honor for sure, for myself, for the organization,” coach Chris Finch said, per The Star Tribune. “But it’d also be just like any other individual accolade. It’s a reflection of the success the team’s having, which is the most important thing right now.”