Anthony Edwards Explains Controversial Decision to Congratulate Spurs' Bench Early in Wolves' Game 6 Loss

As anyone on the Amazon Prime broadcast would tell you, Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards made quite the unexpected move during Minnesota's Game 6 elimination vs. the Spurs on Friday night.

With the Wolves trailing by 33 and eight minutes left on the clock in the fourth, Edwards walked to San Antonio's bench during a timeout and began dapping up the opposing players and the coaching staff, a gesture that looked an awful lot like admitting defeat, depending on who you ask.

Anthony Edwards dapped up every Spurs coach and players before being subbed out of the game with 8 minutes left 👏

(via @NBAonPrime) pic.twitter.com/7LQWokv4uh
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 16, 2026

Indeed, even if it was meant as a show of respect, the decision ultimately proved unpopular (or at least entirely novel) with a few of the analysts on Amazon's postgame show.

“As a leader, I would not have walked down there and shook their hands,” said Udonis Haslem. “As a leader of my troops and my guys, I would not have shown that weakness. The game is not over. I’ve got eight minutes left. I still got smoke coming out my ears. … Let me calm down for those eight minutes since I’m not in, and then after those eight minutes, I’ll go down there, and I’ll congratulate them and their coaching staff.

“But the middle of the game, when I got guys that have sat on the bench and cheered me on [going in to finish things out]? No, I’m gonna sit there and cheer those guys on. I’m gonna put that energy back into those guys, and then when the game is over, I’ll go over there and shake their hand. That’s just the way I handle things. I’m a little bit different. I’m a little bit old-school. I understand there’s a different generation, but I don’t think if they were beating San Antonio, Wemby would have went down there and shook his hand with eight minutes left."

Added Dirk Nowitzki, a former Mavericks superstar forward: "I’ve watched the NBA and been a part of it for a long, long time. I’ve never seen this. A guy walking into the huddle with eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter and dapping up the entire team? Too much for me. Obviously, you can do that after the game and show plenty of respect. That was a little strange for me."

Then came Blake Griffin, who agreed that, “I’ve never seen that before. I do like what he said, that he wanted to give them respect, but I think that you wait and you have to take your licks at the end of the game, like everybody else."

Edwards explains decision to dap up the Spurs bench

Speaking during postgame availability, Edwards shared the thought process behind the unconventional move.

"At that point, you know you ain't going back in, so you just trying to get them the respect they deserve," he told reporters.

The Minnesota star finished the game with 24 points, two rebounds and two assists. As he said, he did not go back in after subbing out for Jaylen Clark with 8:01 left.

"I’ve never seen that before. But it was cool," San Antonio's Stephon Castle said of Edwards's gesture, per the Athletic's Jared Weiss. "We were competing all series, so for him to come over there and show that kind of respect, it was definitely cool."

In the end, the Spurs handily eliminated the Wolves on Friday, with a final tally of 139-109. Star center Victor Wembanyama was quite busy with 19 points, six rebounds, and three blocks, while Castle dropped 32 points and De'Aaron Fox 21. In fact, four of the Spurs' five starters recorded more than 15 points; for Minnesota, only Ant passed that benchmark.

"I just tip my hat to them. They were just the better team," Edwards said.

To their credit, the Wolves were also pretty banged up. Edwards had been playing through knee issues, and the team had been without a valuable contributor in Donte DiVincenzo, who tore his Achilles vs. the Nuggets in the first round.

"We just need everything to be clicking at the right time," Edwards said of what the team needs to get over its championship hump. "I think that's the main thing. I think missing Donte is big for us, man. He spreads the floor like no other. ... But like I said, they were just the better team this series so I tip my hat to those guys."

The Wolves have gotten oh-so close to the NBA Finals in recent years; they made a surprise run to the Western Conference finals in 2023-24, then did it again in 2024-25. But they still can't quite get all the way. That shortcoming will certainly be a big focus both this offseason and beyond, considering the stiff competition in the West, Spurs included, isn't going anywhere any time soon.

More NBA from Sports Illustrated

Add us as a preferred source on Google