NBA fines Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards $40,000 for anti-gay remarks – The Hill
The NBA has fined Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards $40,000 for anti-gay remarks he made in a post on social media.
In a statement Tuesday, the league announced the penalty, noting that Edwards “acknowledged that his actions were inappropriate.”
“Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been fined $40,000 for using offensive and derogatory language on social media,” the league said in its statement.
Edwards made anti-gay comments earlier this month in a video posted to his Instagram account in which he described a group of men standing on a sidewalk as he sat in a vehicle.
The first overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft apologized for making the remarks in the now-deleted Instagram Story, noting they were “immature, hurtful and disrespectful.”
“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,” the 21-year-old former University of Georgia standout wrote in a tweet earlier this month. “I was raised better than that!”
The league has fined other star players, including Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant and Denver Nuggets center and reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic, for using anti-gay language in social media posts and during games.
In a previous statement, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said the team was “disappointed” in Edwards’s actions and committed to being an “inclusive and welcoming organization for all.”
“We are disappointed in the language and actions Anthony Edwards displayed on social media,” Connelly said in his statement. “The Timberwolves are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming organization for all and apologize for the offense this has caused to so many.”
The Hill has reached out to the Timberwolves for comment and more information on the matter.