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Anthony Edwards summed up his frustration after the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with a simple remark: “I definitely gotta shoot more. I only took 13 f—— shots,” That one slip was all it took for the NBA to hit him with a $50,000 fine for using profanity in a media interview—an expensive price to pay for a single word, especially when it’s more than what many people make in a year.
The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski recently reported, “Anthony Edwards declined to speak to the media tonight after being fined $50K for a rather innocuous F-bomb the other night.”
‘Innocuous’ is certainly one way to describe what happened. After all, the player was simply venting his frustration over a 26-point loss (88-114), and did not mean any harm. However, given Edwards’ history, the league probably wanted to limit negative actions by imposing fines on the smallest of infractions.
Though the fine was just one of many Edwards racked up during the season, it clearly pushed him over the edge. The 23-year-old now seems to be playing it safe—maybe a little too safe. Either he’s trying to avoid further trouble, or he’s just tired of the league policing every slip of profanity.
Unfortunately for Edwards, if skipping the press conference was his way of sending a message, it likely came at a cost. The NBA has a history of fining players up to $25,000 for violating media availability rules, which means he may have just piled another penalty onto his growing list.
Anthony Edwards hefty sum of fines
Players aren’t always fined right away, though. Take Devin Booker, for instance—he avoided a fine after skipping post-game media duties following the Suns’ Game 6 loss to Denver in the 2023 Western Conference semifinals. The league typically issues a warning the first time a player fails to meet media obligations. If it happens again, that’s when the fines start coming.
For Anthony Edwards, the issue hasn’t been avoiding the mic—it’s been what comes out when he’s in front of it. Reports suggest the Timberwolves star hasn’t deliberately skipped any post-game media sessions. That could mean the he gets off with just a warning this time. Still, with the league, you never really know until the verdict is in.
It would be a win for Ant-Man if he can dodge another fine altogether. He’s already shelled out more in penalties this season than most people will make in a lifetime.
So far this season, Anthony Edwards has racked up a staggering $664,000 in fines—and yes, that’s just for this season. That total comes from a combination of league-issued fines, technical fouls, and a one-game suspension since the start of the year.
It doesn’t look like Edwards will face another fine for choosing not to speak with reporters on Thursday night. Still, fans are eager to hear from the outspoken star, especially now that the Timberwolves are in a tough spot—trailing 2-0 in their series against the Thunder.
