NBA’s Anthony Edwards Fined $100,000 for Cursing After Past Incidents

NBA star Anthony Edwards keeps getting fined for profanity — but won’t stop cursing on live TV.

Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced in a statement released via the NBA on Monday, December 30, that the 23-year-old Minnesota Timberwolves guard was fined $100,000 after “using profane language during a live television interview.” The statement further explained that the amount was determined by taking Edward’s “history of using profane language during media interviews” into account.

The most recent incident occurred after Edwards and the Timberwolves beat the Houston Rockets 113-112 on Friday, December 27. When speaking with reporters, Edwards was asked to relive the final moments of the game.

“The play was for [Julius Randle] to go 14 — big-small pick and roll,” the athlete said. “Once he picked it up, who else? I gotta go get it. S—. Nickeil [Alexander-Walker] found me, he cut me off. I’m like, ‘S— I’m goin’ for the win’. Like Gilbert Arenas said, I don’t do overtime, so f— it.”

This is the fourth time Edwards has been fined for cursing in the past few weeks. His first offense this month came in at $25,000 following a December 6 game, where he used profanity in the locker room.

Weeks later, Edwards was speaking to journalists after the Timberwolves lost to the Golden State Warriors on December 21. Two days later, the basketball star was fined $75,0000 on December 23 “for public criticism of the officiating and using inappropriate and profane language” after referring to the game’s referees as “f—ing terrible” in the post-game interview.

Late last month, he also received a $35,000 fine after raising his middle finger during the Timberwolves’ game against the Sacramento Kings.

These recent infractions are not the first time Edwards has had to pay up during his career. This past January he was hit with a $40,000 fine for criticizing officials, received a $50,000 penalty in 2023 for “recklessly swinging a chair” during an NBA playoff game and $40,000 in September 2022 for using a slur in an Instagram video.

Prior to his professional career, Edwards played basketball for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, only making it one season before declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft. He was drafted to the Timberwolves in November of that year and made his NBA debut the following month. Edwards was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team that year as well.

He signed a five-year $207 million contract with the Timberwolves in July 2023, with the chance that the deal could reach $260 million, AP confirmed at the time.