Edwards fined for NSFW gesture at Lakers fan

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards took his trash talk too far during Saturday’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Edwards was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for “directing inappropriate language and making an obscene gesture toward a fan,” the league announced.

The incident — which occurred during a timeout in the third quarter of the contest — was captured by a camera in the crowd. In it, Edwards can be seen sitting on the scorer’s table engaging in a verbal back-and-forth with an unseen fan. Just before returning to the court, Edwards grabs his crotch and makes a vulgar comment to the fan. The NSFW exchange that led to the fine can be seen here.

The league did not provide details of the exchange in its release.

Edwards turned in a strong performance in the Timberwolves’ 117-95 Game 1 win over the Lakers on Saturday. He dropped 22 points in the rout, adding nine assists and eight rebounds.

Saturday’s incident was not the first time Edwards was fined by the NBA this season. In March, Edwards received a $35,000 fine from the league for failing to leave the court in a timely manner after an ejection.

Edwards was ejected during a March 5 game vs. the Lakers after a double technical foul. As he was finally being ushered off the court, Edwards threw the ball into the stands.

It marked Edwards’ 16th technical of the year, meaning he had to serve an automatic one-game suspension in the Timberwolves’ next game.

Edwards, 23, is considered one of the game’s brightest young talents. After finishing seventh in the MVP voting last season, Edwards saw his scoring average jump to 27.6 points per game during the 2024-25 NBA season. He also saw an increase in his shooting percentage on both 2- and 3-pointers.

Despite his strong year, the Timberwolves won seven fewer games this season. That dropped the team to sixth place in the Western Conference, forcing it to travel to Los Angeles to take on the No. 3 seed Lakers in Game 1 on Saturday.

Edwards was not suspended for his actions in Game 1 and should be available to play when the two teams meet in Game 2 on Tuesday.