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Anthony Edwards fined $50,000 for throwing chair after NBA playoff match
The incident took place during Minnesota Timberwolves' Game 5 defeat against Denver Nuggets in the first round of playoffs last season.
The NBA has announced that Minnesota Timberwolves’ guard Anthony Edwards has been handed a fine of $50,000 for throwing a chair after a playoff match in Denver earlier this year. After missing out on a potential match-tying shot at the buzzer, Edwards picked up a folding chair and threw it in sheer exasperation while making his way down the tunnel towards the locker room.
The incident took place in Timberwolves' Game 5 defeat against eventual champions Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs last season at Ball Arena.
The NBA decided to impose a fine on Anthony Edwards “for recklessly swinging a chair in frustration that struck two bystanders as he exited the court.”
“In accordance with the collective bargaining agreement, the league’s review of this matter was deferred until after the criminal investigation into the player’s conduct concluded with charges dismissed last month,” read a statement shared by NBA.
Following the game, the police started an investigation into the incident. As per CBS, Denver police spokesman Jay Casillas informed that the two women who were struck by the chair suffered minor injuries and Edwards was charged with a third-degree assault for "knowingly or recklessly" causing bodily injury. Later, the charges against Edwards were dropped.
"With the game over, Anthony's exit from the court was partially obstructed by a chair, which he moved and set down three steps later. As the video of the incident confirms, Anthony did not swing the chair at anyone and of course did not intend to hurt anyone. Anthony intends to vigorously defend against these baseless charges,” Edwards' lawyer Harvey Steinberg was quoted as saying by CBS.
Anthony Edwards is currently a part of the USA team which will feature in the FIBA World Cup scheduled to start later this month. The 22-year-old was part of the USA team in a tune-up game against Puerto Rico. Edwards came up with a brilliant display in that match by putting up a team-high 15 points and four steals. The Americans claimed a thrilling 117-74 win in that match. The USA will kick off their World Cup campaign with a match against New Zealand on August 26.
Anthony Edwards recently agreed to a max contract extension, worth a minimum $207 million over five years, with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The deal can go up to $260 million if Edwards succeeds in making it to the All-NBA team in the next season. He averaged 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists a game last season. Edwards is now all set to head into his fourth season with the Timberwolves.
