Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has received a $40K fine from the NBA for “repeatedly publicly criticizing the officiating,” the league announced today in a press release (via Twitter).
As we previously relayed, Edwards was highly critical of the referees’ performance in Minnesota’s victory over Oklahoma City. Although the Wolves came away with the win, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had more free throw attempts on his own (16) than Minnesota had as a team (15), and Edwards felt that he earned far more than his four trips to the line.
“The refs was bad tonight. Yeah, they was terrible. We was playing 8-on-5,” Edwards said after the game, among other comments. “The cat got their tongue tonight, so it’s all good. It’s not fair, but it’s all good.”
The NBA’s reference to Edwards “repeatedly” criticizing the officiating may just reflect the fact that he made several separate remarks after Monday’s game, including in the Timberwolves’ TV broadcast and to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The NBA didn’t cite any other examples in today’s announcement.
It’s also possible that the league felt Edwards’ remarks on Monday represented the culmination of a series of related criticisms of the officiating.
As we previously outlined, Monday wasn’t even the first instance this month of Edwards complaining about the whistle that Gilgeous-Alexander gets — he told reporters after a January 20 loss to Oklahoma City that “you can’t touch (SGA) any time of the game,” adding that it was difficult to beat the Thunder “when they’re getting calls like that.”
For the sake of comparison, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic was fined $25K for a postgame rant ripping the officiating earlier this month, while Kings head coach Mike Brown received a $50K fine for his officiating criticisms a couple weeks ago.
Let them roast the officials. If the sports leagues are determined to stick microphones in these guys face immediately after competition stop fining them when they are honest about other professionals doing a terrible job.
Nailed it.
They would fine them too if they didn’t talk to the media. So they want players to have to sit in front of a mic and lie to everyone. It’s not even going to help the journalists.
Can’t fine me… the officials for years have been terrible. They protect Lebron and Embozo and it’s just out of control to the point it’s ridiculous. You’re telling me Giannis or Jokic don’t get fouled all the time.. they get fouled just as much.
How does a guy that gets 16 rebounds not get to the line once, its a joke..
I love this as the new big rivalry in the league for the next 5yrs, similar to (or potentially even better than) how LAC/MEM was for awhile there. Thunder gonna have to do a much better job containing Rudy on the glass
Whoa, dude, you think this new big rivalry is going to be even better than Clippers/Memphis? That’s sacrilege bro.
I jw be clear this isn’t me exposing you, this is you exposing yourself… link to clipsnation.com
Whoa dude, did you just link a Clipsnation clip? Man, I sure feel stupid now. Man that author of that article, Sabreena Merchant, she’s the real deal. I googled her and she used to write for the Duke University newsletter.
You’re right bro, that Memphis-Clippers thing was fire. The only rivalry I can think of any better was the Hawks-Knicks when the Hawks were just starting their dynasty.
Does AAVE deserve sic notations
In all of this Chris Finch COTY talk there needs to be some acknowledgement of this team’s total absence of maturity. What is it going to take before it sinks in?
Calling out the refs has nothing to do with a lack of maturity.
Honestly, being strong willed enough to take the fine and repeatedly call them out shows a great deal of maturity. Other players should take notes.
Don’t be scared of the NBA and their fines. Continue to stand up for yourself against these miserable officials.
Yes, I’m sure it took a lot of courage lol
It’s a world where we lend an ear to, “Yeah, they was terrible.”, instead of the far more agreeable, ‘Yeah, they be’s bad.”. If someone states that they think player X is a poor defender that is “hating” on player X? Huh?
GOOD FOR ANT FOR TRASHING THE REFS. They deserve to be roasted and called out after nearly every game. 40k is nothing to Ant.
Hopefully he keeps doing this. Maybe the officials will realize that if they don’t want to be blasted in the media then learn to make the correct calls. It’s really that simple
The officiating makes the games almost unwatchable. Sometimes players get mauled and they swallow the whistle, other times a player falls without contact and they give him the stripe.
Let’s not even mention all the traveling that doesn’t get called. You’d think Priceline was the official sponsor for the NBA
The nba has a huge problem with dirty referees. As long as. The “extender” has. A job it proves this….. Adam Silver is ring leader of these corrupt clowns