Anthony Edwards said there was no ulterior motive behind his decision to dap up San Antonio Spurs players and coaches with eight minutes remaining in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ series-clinching Game 6 loss in the Western Conference semifinals.
Edwards, who addressed his actions during a behind-the-scenes-style video posted to his YouTube channel, said he didn’t want to wait until the end of the game because winning teams typically celebrate after winning a series, and he didn’t want to watch another team revel after beating the Wolves.
“I feel like everybody has their own opinion,” Edwards said. “There’s eight minutes left in the game but (we’re) not going back in the game. When you win a playoff series, everybody is celebrating at the end of the game, so they’re going to be smiling, while I’m pissed off that we just lost.
“I didn’t want to dap them up at all, but then what would they be saying about me? It would have been a whole other conversation. I gave them the respect they deserve. I could’ve waited until the end of the game, that’s some people’s perspective, but I did what I did. That’s why I’m me and y’all are whoever y’all are.”
Edwards walked to the Spurs bench with 8:01 remaining in the fourth quarter and shook hands with the coaching staff and players, one by one, which is something players typically do toward the end of a game. The exchange caught the attention of the analysts on the “NBA on Prime” postgame show, which includes former NBA stars Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin, Udonis Haslem and Steve Nash, and host Taylor Rooks. Nowitzki, Griffin and Haslem didn’t agree with the move.
In the YouTube video, Edwards shared commentary on each of the six games leading up to Minnesota’s playoff exit, including his opinion on the Spurs without Victor Wembanyama and the discussion around the Frenchman potentially being suspended after his ejection for elbowing Naz Reid. Edwards said it was “perfect” that Wembanyama was ejected from Game 4, especially offensively, but said there were defensive challenges.
“It made it hard on us because now everybody (on the Spurs) was playing free,” Edwards said. “They play egoless basketball anyway, but they made it a little tougher. But it was a little bit easier on the offensive end because we were able to get to the paint and try to finish over (Luke) Kornet instead of Wemby.”
Edwards, while reflecting on his knee injury suffered in the series against the Denver Nuggets, admitted after Game 4 that he only had “one knee” in that series but felt he had “two OK knees” against the Spurs. The next scene cut to Edwards discussing Wembanyama’s ejection, saying he was “so happy” the 7-foot-4 star was ejected and even joked he might email the NBA to get him suspended. Edwards said Wembanyama is “like a statue,” and that the Spurs are hard to beat when Wemby plays because of his defense.
“It’s so hard to beat them when he’s on the floor just because of his defense,” Edwards said of Wembanyama.
Edwards said the Wolves “came out and got their a– whooped” in Games 5 and 6, but “tipped his cap” to the Spurs following the series-ending loss. He believes Minnesota and San Antonio could potentially become a rivalry, and claims this isn’t the end yet.
“Hell yeah,” Edwards said. “I tip my cap to them. They came out and balled. … But we’ll be back. Y’all won, y’all beat us, but that s— won’t last forever.”
