NBA Announces Punishment for Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards

The 2020 No. 1 pick previously issued an apology for his offensive remarks.

The NBA has fined Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards $40,000 for his use of “offensive and derogatory language on social media,” president of league operations Byron Spruell announced Tuesday.

The discipline from the NBA comes after Edwards made a series of anti-LGBTQ comments on social media. In a since-deleted video posted on Instagram, the 21-year-old can be heard calling a group of people standing outside “queer” while the camera zooms in on the individuals from the inside of a car. He can also be heard saying, “Look what the world done came to, bruh” before the video ends.

Timberwolves president Tim Connelly expressed the organization’s disappointment in Edwards and issued an apology a few days after the video surfaced. 

“We are disappointed in the language and actions Anthony Edwards displayed on social media,” Connelly said, per ESPN’s Malika Andrews. “The Timberwolves are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming organization for all and apologize for the offense this has caused to so many.”

Edwards also apologized for his actions, saying that it was “unacceptable” for him to use the language heard in the video. 

“What I said was immature, hurtful, and disrespectful, and I’m incredibly sorry,” Edwards wrote on Twitter. “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 NBA has punished other players in the past for anti-LGBTQ comments. Kevin Durant and Nikola Jokić were each fined by the league for remarks they made in 2021 and ’18, respectively. 

Edwards, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft, is entering his third season with the Timberwolves.