0
0 Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was fined $40k by the NBA for criticism of the Referees.
The young guard was fined $40,000 for criticizing the officials after a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on January 29th, 2022. He spoke out publicly against the officiating during the post-game press conference following their 107-101 win at the Paycom Center.
According to Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President and head of Basketball Operations, the NBA had to take action against Edwards for repeatedly publicly criticizing the officiating, which violates league rules. While expressing opinions is acceptable, the NBA has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to public criticism of referees.
Although Edwards had an excellent performance in the game, with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, he was frustrated with some of the calls made by the officials. In a post-game interview, he expressed his opinion, saying, “I don’t want to say too much, but I felt like there were some calls that could have gone our way, and they didn’t. It’s just frustrating when you’re out there trying to win and it feels like the refs are against you.”
While players’ emotional outbursts after a game are understandable, it’s important to remember that officiating is a difficult job, and the officials are doing their best to ensure a fair game. The NBA takes such matters seriously, and any public criticism of the officiating is considered a violation of league rules.
In conclusion, Anthony Edwards is an excellent young talent in the NBA, but he will have to be more careful with his public comments in the future to avoid any further fines from the league.
About The Author
