NBA punishes Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards for vulgar gesture, taunt directed toward fan

Officially, the NBA said it fined Edwards $50K because he was "directing inappropriate language and making an obscene gesture toward a fan." If that was unclear, ESPN's Shams Charania specified that Edwards directed a vulgar taunt toward the fan.

It's Edwards' seventh fine of the 2024-25 season, one where he led the NBA with 17 technical fouls, edging out prolific technical foulers Dillon Brooks, Isaiah Stewart and Draymond Green. He's been fined for making obscene gestures to a referee, received two separate fines for cursing during postgame interviews, got a fine for publicly criticizing officials and got fined for throwing the ball into the stands after an ejection.

The Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star has consistently said inappropriate things during his career, whether it's using homophobic language in an Instagram video or making flippant and offensive comments about paternity. He's racked up a league-leading $370K in fine money this season, with potential to run up these totals if the Wolves can make a deep playoff run.

While accumulating too many technical fouls or flagrant foul points can be dangerous, fine money shouldn't hurt Edwards beyond his pocketbook. Still, the young superstar need to show more self-control and discipline.