Anthony Edwards has been brought up on third-degree assault allegations following the 21-year-old swinging a folding chair after the Minnesota Timberwolves Game 5 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
The one-time NBA All-Star missed a buzzer-beater three-pointer that would have sent their Tuesday (April 25) matchup into overtime, and subsequently ran to the locker room. Footage shows the young star picking up a folding chair and tossing it aside.
The Denver Police Department told Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan that two women who worked at Ball Arena were struck by the chair, one of whom was a security guard. Denver Sports reported that the injuries were not serious, but both women still pressed charges. Edwards must appear in court in Denver on June 9, the Star Tribune reported. If convicted, he could face 18 months in jail and a $1,000 fine, as third-degree assault is considered a Class 1 misdemeanor in Colorado.
“We are aware of the alleged incident regarding Anthony Edwards following Game 5 in Denver and are in the process of gathering more information,” the Minnesota Timberwolves said in a Wednesday (April 26) statement. “We have no further comment at this moment.”
Edward’s attorney Harvey Steinberg provided VIBE with the following statement regarding the accusations.
“With the game over, Anthony’s exit from the court was partially obstructed by a chair, which he moved and set down three steps later. As video of the incident confirms, Anthony did not swing the chair at anyone and of course did not intend to hurt anyone. Despite these innocent facts, the Denver Police Department inexplicably chose to charge Anthony with two counts of misdemeanor assault. Anthony intends to vigorously defend against these baseless charges.“
Anthony Edwards was stellar in the T-Wolves’ first-round series against the Denver Nuggets, averaging 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. If convicted, it would be a huge blow to his team, which is just a few key elements away from being a serious threat in the Western Conference.