Former Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards finally addressed the controversial moment that went viral during Minnesota’s playoff elimination against the San Antonio Spurs, and he made it very clear he has zero regrets about what happened.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Edwards explained why he walked over and congratulated Spurs players with over eight minutes still left in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals.
“I mean, there was no reason why. I feel like everybody just has their own opinion. Yeah, it was eight minutes left in the game, but we weren’t coming back. When you win a playoff series, everybody’s celebrating at the end of the game. They’re going to be smiling while I’m pissed off that we just lost.”
“So I was like, let me go congratulate these boys because I ain’t trying to be kicking it with y’all after y’all just whooped my a**. I didn’t want to go dap them up after the game at all. Then people would’ve had a whole different conversation about me.”
“So I gave them n****s the respect they deserved. I could’ve waited until the end of the game. That’s other people’s perspective. But yeah, I did what I did. That’s why I’m me and y’all are whoever y’all are. It’s just that simple.”
That moment instantly exploded online after cameras caught Edwards dapping up Spurs players and coaches while the game was still technically ongoing. Minnesota was trailing by over 30 points at the time, and many former players viewed the gesture as waving the white flag too early.
Anthony Edwards dapping up and congratulating Wemby and the San Antonio Spurs on advancing to the Western Conference Finals with 8 minutes left in the game.
Thoughts? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/MKyOr7qTKN
— Zero Gravity (@zgsportsmedia) May 16, 2026
Former NBA legends like Dirk Nowitzki and Udonis Haslem openly criticized Edwards afterward. Nowitzki admitted he had ‘never seen this’ during his entire NBA career, while Haslem argued a leader should never show surrender before the final buzzer.
Edwards clearly understands the backlash, but from his perspective, the series was over long before the final horn.
That frustration probably came from the reality of how brutal the series ending became for Minnesota. The Timberwolves were destroyed 139-109 in Game 6 as the Spurs completely overwhelmed them physically, offensively, and defensively.
Edwards finished with 24 points, but struggled badly with efficiency, shooting just 9 for 26 from the field. Minnesota never led during the game and trailed by as many as 37 points. By the fourth quarter, the outcome felt decided. And honestly, Edwards has a point about narratives.
If he walked straight into the locker room without congratulating anybody, critics probably would have called him immature, salty, or disrespectful. Instead, he showed respect early, and people still attacked him for it.
The bigger picture here is that Edwards remains one of the fiercest competitors in basketball. This is the same player who has dragged Minnesota deep into the playoffs multiple years in a row while battling injuries and carrying enormous offensive responsibility.
This postseason was disappointing for the Timberwolves overall. After reaching back-to-back Western Conference Finals previously, Minnesota was eliminated in the second round this year by a younger and more explosive Spurs team led by Victor Wembanyama.
Edwards averaged 21.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists during the playoffs while clearly dealing with physical limitations. During the regular season, though, he delivered arguably the best year of his career, averaging 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists while shooting 48.9% from the field and 39.9% from three-point range.
And judging by his response now, Edwards is not interested in changing his personality to satisfy public opinion.
