"That’s an expensive dirty finger" - NBA fans abuzz over Anthony Edwards' $35,000 fine for flipping off crowd at Timberwolves game

NBA fans had some things to say after Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was punished following an incident with a fan during their Nov. 15, 130-126 win over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. With 3:15 remaining in the first quarter, Edwards gave somebody in the crowd the middle finger, which was noted by the league and punished according to the rules.

Phoenix Suns reporter Duane Rankin shared ahead of the Timberwolves' matchup against the Suns that the guard was fined $35,000 for making the gesture on the playing court.

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It didn't take long for fans to share their opinions on the incident.

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"Anthony Edwards has been fined $35,000 for this. Now that’s an expensive dirty finger," one fan said.

Some fans questioned why Edwards was punished for the gesture while domestic abusers are still in the league.

"fined 35 grand for sticking a finger up, meanwhile domestic abusers get no repercussions," one fan wrote.

"You'll address this because it's no big deal and act like you're doing something but won't address serious domestic abuse," another fan said.

A couple of fans recalled that 'Ant' was fined $40K for making homophobic remarks and even compared this fine to LaMelo Ball being fined $100K for saying 'no homo' after the Hornets beat the Bucks on Saturday.

"Why was Anthony Edwards only fined 40K tho," one fan questioned.

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Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves are having a difficult start to the season

After finishing the 2023-24 regular season with the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference (56-26), Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves are off to a more complex start to this campaign. They boast a 7-6 record, ranking ninth in the standings.

They have lost three of their last four games, including back-to-back losses to the Portland Trail Blazers. After bouncing back against the Kings in overtime, the Wolves are clashing with a much better version of the Suns.

Edwards averages 28.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 46.8% from the field in 13 games.

About the author

Orlando Silva joined the Sportskeeda team in 2024 as a member of the NBA roster as an analyst. After completing his bachelor's in English studies in 2016, he decided to pursue a career in sports journalism. Being an avid fan of the NBA, Orlando has covered the league for five years now, with a big focus on trending stories, the latest rumors and reports.
He's expanded his area of expertise to the NFL, one of his biggest passion since discovering the competition in 2007.

Orlando is a huge fan of the San Antonio Spurs, and his favorite player of all time is Tim Duncan. Of course, Greg Popovich is his favorite coach of all time and Victor Wembanyama is already his favorite player in the league. In the NFL, he supports the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints.

Besides being a writer, Orlando is also an entrepreneur while pursuing a music production career.

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Edited by Nicolaas Ackermann