"$50,000 fine incoming" - Fans fear Anthony Edwards’ n-word slip on media day possibly triggering another heavy fine from NBA

Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves players faced reporters on Monday for the team's media day. Ant-Man, the franchise player, unsurprisingly drew the most interest from everyone who attended the event. Edwards, though, committed a gaffe that could prove costly.

When asked to name the player he has missed most in his five-year stay in Minnesota, Edwards did not hesitate to respond. He said that it was his “ni**a” Jarred Vanderbilt and Josh Okogie.

Fans reacted to Anthony Edwards’ slip that prompted reporters to laugh:

“50,000 fine incoming.”

manz

@humblemanzz11

50,000 fine incoming

One fan said:

I have so many questions?

@english_shamar

Timberwolves organization said we tried, we just gonna let Ant be Ant.

Another fan added:

👑

@7ixers

Media training is afraid of him

One more fan continued:

Juju

@Jujutalksball

Ant getting fined already

Another fan reacted:

優木 せつ菜 🇯🇵 | Watanare SZN

@Nljigakulive

I know the league fines office love to see this ni**a coming

Edwards and Vanderbilt played for a few seasons together in Minnesota before the Timberwolves sent the defensive stalwart to the Utah Jazz in 2022. The Timberwolves traded “Vando,” Malik Beasley, Pat Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, the draft rights to Walker Kessler and five first-round picks to the Jazz for Rudy Gobert.

In the same year of the Vanderbilt trade to Utah, Josh Okogie left Minnesota. After failing to get an offer from the Timberwolves, he agreed to join the Phoenix Suns on a one-year, $1.97 million deal. The Suns would give Okogie two more years before trading him to Charlotte.

The NBA has zero tolerance for racial and homophobic comments, which could mean a fine for Anthony Edwards for his slip. In 2022, the league fined Ant-Man $40,000 for “offensive and derogatory language on social media.” The penalty came after Edwards wrote “queer-a**-ni**as” to react to a photo of half-naked men standing along the road.

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Anthony Edwards emphasizes togetherness to win NBA championship

After losing in the Western Conference in the past two seasons, Anthony Edwards inevitably responded to questions about the Timberwolves’ championship aspirations. When asked what he has learned over the years for his team to bag the title, Edwards responded:

“The most important thing that I’ve learned is that teams that go deep in the playoffs, they’re together, like, they really care about each other. It’s easy to say, like, ‘We brothers’ and act like it.”

Anthony Edwards elaborated that he and some Timberwolves players had camps, but not one teammate attended another’s event. The All-Star guard emphasized that that would have to change as they have to start building chemistry and bonds in the summer.

The Timberwolves could not retain Nickeil Alexander-Walker but kept Naz Reid and Julius Randle. Edwards also expects second-year players Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark to step up. Time will tell if the Timberwolves can finally get over the hump in the loaded Western Conference.