The NBA is an organization that is committed to social justice causes and being as inclusive as it can be. The league has worked tirelessly to be a better space for diverse fans, people of different races, genders, and sexual orientations. As such, when players breach this policy by their words or their actions, it is a matter that the league takes seriously.
The latest NBA player to find out about this is Anthony Edwards. The Minnesota Timberwolves star recently received a lot of criticism and backlash for a story that he uploaded to his Instagram, in which he made some derogatory comments that were quite homophobic. This isn’t something that a lot of people can excuse, and the response led to a swift apology from the man himself.
But that wasn’t quite enough, with reports coming out in the aftermath that the league was investigating the incident. A suspension or a fine were discussed as possible punishments for Edwards, and it would seem that the league has arrived at its conclusion on what the punishment should be.
Anthony Edwards Was Fined $40K For Using Offensive And Derogatory Language On Social Media
NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Edwards had been fined for his transgression, and revealing that the figure was $40,000.
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been fined $40,000 for using offensive and derogatory language on social media.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 20, 2022
“Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been fined $40,000 for using offensive and derogatory language on social media.”
It’s safe to say that for a player primed to be a superstar, this isn’t a lot of money, even without a big contract. Fans pointed out that this perhaps wasn’t enough, although some did say that it was good that the NBA had taken some action.
“That’s pocket change to him, man.”
“Nah, that’s soft from the league.”
“He’s a young man, he’s been punished, he will learn from this.”
“I think it’s a fair punishment, can’t force him to do anything.”
“Ant makes 130k a game btw. Literal pocket change.”
“This should be donated to an LGBTQ advocacy organization.”
“I’m glad that the NBA did something.”
“This kind of bheavior deserves a fine.”
“It may not be much, but I’m hopeful he will learn from it.”
“We all knew it would be a small fine, but I want to see him learn from his actions.”
There is a lot of progress to be made on the front of inclusivity for society as a whole, but hopefully, Edwards will mature following this incident. He has an extremely bright future ahead of him, but he will have to work to gain back the trust of the fans that were disappointed in him for these actions.
