"Nikola Jokic was fined $25,000 for saying, 'no homo'", "league's about to count every individual word as an 'incident'" - Fans react to Anthony Edwards' recent homophobic comments

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has been at the center of a controversy over the homophobic language he used in a recent Instagram story. In the since-deleted story, Edwards made a joke about a group of men that he was recording from his car.

“Look at these queer a** n***ers,” Edwards can be heard saying as a voice laughs in the background.

Edwards has since apologized for his comments on Twitter:

The Minnesota Timberwolves organization offered up their own apology as well, with team President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly saying in a statement:

“We are disappointed in the language and actions Anthony Edwards displayed on social media.”

“The Timberwolves are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming organization for all and apologize for the offense this has caused to so many.”

Meanwhile, the NBA said they are still reviewing the incident.

Anthony Edwards is only entering his third season in the NBA but he’s already eastablished himself due to his strong, outgoing personality and overall confidence. This has made Edwards a fan favorite around the league.

Unfortunately, this time Edwards’ lack of filter has gotten him into trouble. Some fans have argued that Edwards deserves to be fined for his comments based on the NBA’s precedent in dealing with similar incidents. However, other fans have come to Edwards’ defense.

One fan wrote:

“If Nikola Jokic was fined $25,000 for saying ‘No homo’, I would imagine there will be some sort of discipline here”

Another fan replied:

“League's about to count every individual word as an ‘incident.’”

Here are some more reactions to the incident:

Anthony Edwards gearing up for a potential breakout season in 2023

Los Angeles Clippers v Minnesota Timberwolves

Despite what you think of Anthony Edwards’ off-court antics, there’s still no denying his on-court talent.

Edwards is coming off an impressive sophomore season where he averaged 21.3 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting from the field.

He also helped the Timberwolves make the playoffs for just the second time since 2005. However, many are still expecting him to break out even further and up his scoring average to over 25 points per game.

There have also been increased expectations surrounding the Timberwolves as a team since they acquired All-Star center Rudy Gobert in a trade earlier this summer.

Edwards talked about these increased expectations in a recent conversation with The Athletic, stating:

“I’ve been working on everything, man. Just getting better. I’m trying to take that leap this year and be the best player I can be. Trying to take my team as far as we can.”

If Edwards is indeed ready to take another leap, he could be an intriguing candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award next season. The Timberwolves will also be in line to win their first playoff series since 2004.