Anthony Edwards is about to have an expensive chat with the NBA. A fine? Guaranteed. A suspension? That’s now on the table too. Thursday’s game against the Lakers went sideways fast for the Timberwolves star. His first technical came after a quick exchange with former teammate Jarred Vanderbilt. But the real fireworks happened in the third quarter. Edwards hit the floor on a play he thought should’ve drawn a foul, and when the refs didn’t blow the whistle, he let them hear it.
That frustration earned him his second tech—and an early exit. But instead of heading straight to the locker room, he stuck around longer than he should have. Then, just to make sure the night ended with a little extra drama, he launched the ball into the Crypto.com Arena crowd. Bad move.
That ejection also pushed Edwards to 16 technical fouls for the season, triggering an automatic one-game suspension—unless the league rescinds one. This means he’ll be fined $5000 for his 16th technical $1000 minimum for the ejection. Plus the NBA isn’t going to ignore that ball toss. A bigger fine is almost certainly coming his way.
Jan 6, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts to referee Sean Corbin after not receiving a foul call on his basket against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
With Ant-man now facing a suspension and a hefty fine, fans had plenty to say about the chaotic sequence that led to his ejection. From questioning the ref’s decision to cracking jokes about his frustration, social media was buzzing with reactions.
Fans blame the refs for ejecting Anthony Edwards
One reaction captured the curiosity of many: “I wanna know what he said to make that ref throw him out fr.”. And honestly? That’s a fair question. NBA players vent their frustrations all the time, but not every complaint leads to an ejection. Did he drop a magic word? Did he get too personal? We’ve seen refs tolerate some brutal trash talk, so whatever it was, it had to be enough to push the official over the edge. Or have the refs gone soft?
With Anthony Edwards getting ejected in a crucial game, fans didn’t hold back their frustration—especially toward the officiating. One reaction summed up the sentiment perfectly: “So tired of NBA refs having main character syndrome.”. And honestly? It’s hard to argue. This season, it feels like referees are taking center stage far too often, making calls that shift momentum or injecting themselves into the game when they don’t need to. Since the start of the season Tom Thibodeau, Doc Rivers everyone has called for consistent refeering.
Another fan chimed in with, “NBA refs always make the game about themselves.” He was upset over a missed call—something that happens in every game—but instead of managing the moment, the ref escalated it by tossing him. Technical fouls were meant to control the game, not put refs in the spotlight. But now? It feels like any sign of frustration can get a player tossed.
“Lakers and Refs is at the level of a Wattpad fan fiction.” tweeted another user. he idea that the Lakers always seem to get favorable whistles has been a long-running debate, and moments like this only add fuel to the fire. Edwards got tossed after a no-call and the fact that it happened against the Lakers only made fans more suspicious.
Lakers and Refs is at the level of a Wattpad fan fiction
— Sam Isaacman (@SamIsaacman) February 28, 2025
The comparison to a Wattpad fan fiction is hilarious but oddly fitting. If you told someone the Lakers get special treatment, they might call it a conspiracy—until they see games like this.
Even Lakers fans couldn’t defend what went down, with one admitting: “I am a Lakers fan, but the refs are the worst. There was no reason to toss him.”
And that says a lot. When the team benefiting from the call has fans openly saying, Yeah, that was bad, you know the officiating was questionable. Anthony Edwards’ ejection didn’t just feel unnecessary—it felt like another case of refs overstepping and making themselves the story.
This is a developing story…
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