NBA star Anthony Edwards is fined $50,000 for a chair flipping incident
- Edwards faces felony charges over the Denver incident
- He swung a chair after the Nuggets’ loss, reportedly injuring two women
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Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has been fined $50,000 for “recklessly swinging a chair in frustration that struck two bystanders as he left the field” following a playoff game in Denver on April 25, NBA Director Joe Dumars said. announced Wednesday.
The incident occurred after Edwards missed the potential tying shot at the buzzer against eventual champion Nuggets. The former University of Georgia standout then ran through the tunnel before grabbing a chair and swinging, injuring two women working at Ball Arena, according to Denver police.
Edwards was charged with two counts of third-degree sexual assault, which is a misdemeanor.
However, Edwards’ attorney, Harvey Steinberg, said his client will “strongly defend” the allegations.
“At the end of the game, Anthony’s exit from the field was partially obstructed by a chair, which he moved and put back down three steps later,” Steinberg said in a statement released by the team in April.
NBA star Anthony Edwards was cited for two cases of third-degree assault
As the video of the incident confirms, Anthony waved the chair at no one and of course had no intention of hurting anyone.
“Anthony intends to vigorously defend these baseless allegations.”
If convicted, he could face up to 18 months in prison and/or $1,000 in fines.
Denver police reportedly delayed the departure of the Timberwolves team bus to provide Edwards with a police report for the assault.
The following day, the team released a statement saying, “We are aware of the alleged incident involving Anthony Edwards after Game 5 in Denver and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time .”
The swingman missed the final shot that would have tied Game 5 and sent it to overtime
In 79 regular season games (all starts), Edwards averaged 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 45.9 percent from the field.
Edwards started all five games of the Denver series and finished with averages of 31.6 points, 5.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds.
He is currently on Team USA’s roster for the upcoming FIBA World Cup.
Edwards, 22, recently agreed to a huge contract extension that could net him a whopping $260 million over five seasons. He is currently entering the fourth year of his rookie contract, which will pay him $13 million for the 2023-24 season.