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Minnesota Timberwolves security guard Anthony Edwards has been fined $40,000 by the NBA for posting a homophobic Instagram clip referring to a group of shirtless men as ‘queer a** n****s’
- Anthony Edwards posted a video clip where he made homophobic comments
- The guard was fined $40,000 after the NBA reviewed the incident
- The 21-year-old apologized shortly after the clip was posted
- The Minnesota Timberwolves also apologized for any offense Edwards caused
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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been fined $40,000 by the NBA for his use of homophobic language in an Instagram video announcing the league.
Earlier this month, the guard posted the video from his car on social media, in which he zooms in on a group of shirtless men on the sidewalk.
Commenting over the top of the clip, Edwards can be heard saying, ‘Look at these queer a** n****s, man. Look at the world I’ve come to.’
League Operations president Byron Spruell confirmed on Tuesday that the NBA had fined Edwards for “using abusive and derogatory language on social media.”
The brief statement also revealed that the 21-year-old has admitted his actions were inappropriate.
Edwards apologized shortly after the clip was posted and circulated on social media.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been fined $40,000 by the NBA for using homophobic language in an Instagram video
Edwards posted a clip to his Instagram where he filmed a group of shirtless men making a homophobic comment while a woman was heard laughing
Edwards, who was the top pick in the 2020 Draft, told his 178,000 followers on Twitter: “What I said was immature, hurtful and disrespectful, and I’m incredibly sorry.
“It is unacceptable for me or anyone else to use that language in such a hurtful way, there is no excuse at all. I was raised better than that!’
The Timberwolves also apologized for the offense caused by Edwards’ actions, stressing the team’s commitment to inclusivity.
Edwards has since apologized on his Twitter account, calling comments ‘unacceptable’
“We are disappointed with the language and actions that Anthony Edwards has shown on social media,” the team said in a statement attributed to team president Tim Connelly released Monday.
“The Timberwolves are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming organization for all and apologize for the offense this has caused to so many.”
The league has previously fined players for using homophobic or abusive language.
As reported by The Star Tribune, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant was slapped with a $50,000 fine in April 2021 after actor Michael Rapoport shared screenshots showing insulting statements Durant made against him.
The Timberwolves also apologized for the offense the guards caused
Elsewhere, Kobe Bryant and Rajon Rondo have also been fined for using homophobic statements during NBA games.
In his career, Edwards will soon enter his third season in the NBA after graduating from Georgia in 2020.
He was an NBA All-Rookie First Teamer in 2021 and played in 72 games for the Timberwolves in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, as well as six playoff games in 2022.
Those playoff games came in a first-round defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies, despite Edwards’ 30-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist, 2-steal, and 2-block outing in Game 6.