Anthony Edwards has been fined $40K for his derogatory comments aimed at the officiating crew present for the Timberwolves' win against the Thunder earlier this week. The NBA levied the fine at the young star for "repeatedly publicly criticizing the officiating". Edwards clearly expected it, saying that he was going to "take the fine" as he went after the refs. Despite the win, Edwards said like Wolves were playing "8-on-5" due to the lack of calls going the team's way.
However, it's not the first time that the NBA has gone after Edwards. Last year, he was fined $50K for throwing a chair courtside after the Wolves' playoff elimination at the hands of the Nuggets. Despite the hefty fine, Edwards did not miss any games due to the incident. A number of staffers unsuccessfully sued Edwards over the incident, claiming to have been injured during the incident. The case was dismissed before going to trial.
Are NBA Fines Getting Out Of Hand?
Of course, the NBA has been getting increasingly frequent with its fines. Last year, the NBA fined Embiid $35K for “repeatedly making an obscene gesture on the playing court" in November 2023. The gesture in question was the "DX Crotch Chop", something first seen in the WWE by the D-Generation X stable. Embiid broke out the move after scoring off a foul in the third quarter in the Sixers' home opener against the Blazers. Earlier this year, in January, Embiid was fined $25K for making the same gesture in a similar situation against the Nets.
Despite being out $35K, Embiid has gotten an invaluable invitation out of the moment. After news of the fine broke, Triple H, one of the best known DX wrestlers, hit Embiid up on Twitter. "Hey @JoelEmbiid - I know a place where you can do that all day, and everyone will love it. WrestleMania 40 is right there in Philly...," the wrestler wrote. Furthermore, the milestone wrestling will touch down in the City of Brotherly Love this April.
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