Anthony Edwards Slapped with $25K Fine – What Really Happened When He Threw the Game Ball?

Anthony Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ fiery guard, found himself facing a sharp $25,000 sting from the NBA this week — not for a slam dunk or a buzzer-beater, but for hurling the game ball into the stands during halftime of a gritty 124-121 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. The drama unfolded just as the second quarter closed: Edwards grabbed a rebound, threw a quick fake shot, and moments after the buzzer, flung the ball skyward… only for it to smack an unsuspecting bystander nearby. Now, it’s clear he wasn’t lobbing that ball out of rage, yet the unintended result left its mark — and a fine to match. Tough break for Edwards, who’s no stranger to on-court fines, considering his hefty past penalties. Curious about the full scoop and what led up to the incident? LEARN MORE.

Minnesota Timberwolves’ guard Anthony Edwards has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for throwing the game ball “with force” into the stands during halftime of Minnesota’s 124-121 road win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at the end of the second quarter, when Edwards snagged a rebound off a Portland miss, then faked a heave to end the half. After the buzzer had already sounded, Edwards launched the ball toward the basket and struck someone standing nearby.

Edwards did not throw the ball out of anger or frustration, but the ball did clearly hurt the bystander.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards works around Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. during the second half at Target Center.

WATCH: The heave that cost Edwards $25K

You can watch the full video of the incident here, on nba.com.

Has Edwards been fined before?

He’s certainly no stranger to fines. Last year, Edwards was fined $420,000 across eight transgressions, mostly for foul language used in interviews with the press following games.

Has anyone else been fined for similar actions?

Funny enough, Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane was also fined $25K for throwing a ball into the stands “with force” during the team’s Tuesday night win against the Los Angeles Lakers. Bane’s incident occurred at the end of the game.

You can watch that incident here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch the ball toss that cost Anthony Edwards $25K