NBA fines Anthony Edwards $50K for chair incident after playoff game vs. Nuggets
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was fined $50,000 for "recklessly swinging a chair in frustration that struck two bystanders as he exited the court at the conclusion of the Timberwolves playoff game against the Denver Nuggets on April 25," the NBA announced Wednesday.
The league's punishment comes nearly four months after the incident due to a criminal investigation that saw Edwards' charges dismissed in July.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/1PzBCKEo51
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 9, 2023
The 22-year-old was initially cited for two cases of third-degree assault in the incident. Two days later, his attorney refuted the charges, calling them "baseless."
"Anthony's exit from the court was partially obstructed by a chair, which he moved and set down three steps later. As video of the incident confirms, Anthony did not swing the chair at anyone and of course did not intend to hurt anyone," he said.
The incident occurred after Edwards missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have sent the game to a second overtime. The loss eliminated Minnesota from the playoffs.
Viewers were able to catch what seemed to be part of the incident on the NBA TV broadcast, in which Edwards is seen running with a chair and then swinging it down. A woman seems to quickly react to potential contact before another woman across the walkway also reacts as the chair moves toward her.
It starts around the 21-second mark in this video:
Anthony Edwards misses the game-tying 3 and running straight to the locker room, as the Minnesota Timberwolves are now officially eliminated from the NBA 2023 Playoffs. With replays. pic.twitter.com/Ei6ozbzjvc
— hoops bot (@hoops_bot) April 26, 2023
Edwards agreed to a maximum rookie-scale contract extension with Minnesota in July worth a reported $260 million. The deal came after the former Georgia Bulldog put up career-high averages of 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, earning his first All-Star selection.
He is currently with Team USA in preparation for the upcoming FIBA World Cup in the Philippines this month. He and Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson each scored a team-leading 15 points in the USA's 117-74 tune-up win over Puerto Rico.
This story will be updated.
