Edwards explains early congratulations after playoff loss

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards drew criticism after he walked across the court and congratulated San Antonio Spurs players with 8:01 remaining in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals on May 15, while his team trailed by 33 points. Edwards had been removed from the game by coach Chris Finch, a standard move when a contest is no longer competitive. The gesture, captured on video, prompted immediate backlash from former players Dirk Nowitzki and Udonis Haslem during the NBA on Prime postgame show, along with widespread discussion among fans and commentators.

Edwards addressed the incident in a video posted to his YouTube channel. He explained his reasoning by noting he knew he would not re-enter the game and anticipated being too frustrated after the final buzzer to offer congratulations. “Yes, eight minutes in the game, but we’re not going back in the game,” Edwards said. “When you win a playoff series, everybody’s celebrating at the end of the game, so they’re gonna be smiling while I’m pissed off, and we just lost.” He added that he preferred not to congratulate the Spurs at all but felt he had to avoid a different criticism. “Then what would they have been...