(Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
The NBA doesn’t mess around when it comes to players and coaches criticizing the way games are officiated, with the league and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver having no problem assessing hefty fines for those who speak out publicly.
A few days ago, rising star Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves was livid with the way the referees were calling the game between his squad and the Oklahoma City Thunder, even though the T’Wolves came out on top on the road at Paycom Center, 107-101.
Edwards intended to speak out publicly about the way the game was officiated, and he did so immediately after the game concluded.
The Timberwolves star admitted that he knew he’d be fined for his comments but was totally okay with that because it was something that needed to be said.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Edwards was assessed a $40,000 fine for his comments on Wednesday and shared his reaction to the fine a day later.
“Like I said, I’ll take the fine. I’m OK with it,” he said, per MacMahon.
Anthony Edwards on his $40K fine for ripping refs: “I don’t care about it. S—, it needed to be said. Like I said, I’ll take the fine. I’m OK with it.”
The typical was higher than typical $25K. Ant: “Yeah, probably because I said they was cheating.” https://t.co/s2dckh3aGU
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 1, 2024
Complaining in the NBA during and after games has become a common occurrence, with players thinking they are getting fouled on every single possession and expressing that by throwing their hands up or barking at the referees.
Even though players are usually wrong about calls not being made, there have been many bad calls and non-calls this season, which has led to star players like Edwards expressing frustration publicly.
However, Edwards took it a step further and was hit with an enormous fine for speaking his mind.
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