- Anthony Edwards led Minnesota to their first conference finals since 2004
- The Timberwolves will host the first two games against the Dallas Mavericks
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards’ viral response to Charles Barkley has become the new tagline for Minnesota’s tourism website as the team prepares for the Western Conference Finals.
After dethroning Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a thrilling seven-game series, the always outspoken Edwards delivered the iconic one-liner as he led the team to their first conference finals since 2004.
“I haven’t been to Minnesota in probably 20 years,” Barkley told Edwards after Game 7.
“Bring your a**,” Edwards replied quickly.
The clip quickly gained virality and Minnesota’s tourism board took advantage of the preparations to host the Dallas Mavericks for the first two games of the series.
Anthony Edwards’ viral response to Charles Barkley became the new slogan of Minnesota tourism
After claiming he hadn’t been to Minnesota in 20 years, Edwards told Barkley, “Bring your a**.”
On Monday, the ExploreMinnesota Instagram page posted photos of the city’s tourist attractions, with “bring ya a**” in capital letters across the center.
“Minnesota is here for you, basketball fans!” Let’s go @timberwolves,” the page said.
In addition, one of the photos was placed on the banner of the website homepage, with the text: ‘Welcome to a state of possibilities. Whether you’re planning a visit or thinking about a move, Minnesota is ready to welcome you. In other words…BRING YA A**.”
The tourism board has also coded the URL Bringyaa**.com to lead to their website.
Edwards led the T-Wolves to a third-place finish with a 56-26 record in the Western Conference.
Edwards led the Timberwolves to their first conference finals appearance since 2004
Minnesota’s tourism website made “bring ya a**” their slogan after Edwards’ clip went viral
The Timberwolves will host Games 1 and 2 against the Dallas Mavericks in Minnesota
Minnesota then went on an impressive playoff run, defeating Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in the first round before eliminating the defending champions in the second round.
After their run to the conference finals in 2004, the Timberwolves missed the playoffs for 13 seasons. They would make postseason appearances in 2018, 2022 and 2023, but lost in the first round each time.
Edwards is averaging 28.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game in these playoffs as the Timberwolves pursue their first title in franchise history.