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There's a thin line between Anthony Edwards showing good sportsmanship and quitting a game too early.
The NBA media, including ex-Arizona Wildcats and Phoenix natives Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson, have criticized Edwards' polarizing handshakes to the San Antonio Spurs early in the fourth quarter during the Minnesota Timberwolves' season-ending Game 6 home loss on May 15.
Edwards, who scored 24 points, conceded the loss as he was being subbed out with eight minutes remaining when Minnesota was down by 33 points. The final score was 139-109.
The former Suns forward and "Road Trippin' Show" podcast host, Channing Frye, and Jefferson agreed during the show's May 18 episode about why they weren't feeling Edwards' gesture.
"You make a big deal halfway through a timeout to walk across the court," Frye said to Jefferson. "Richard, you would never in your life go across the court. Hey, I'm sitting on the bench, when I see the guys, maybe at the beginning of a timeout, two or three minutes, when everything has calmed down. ... Three minutes, two minutes, then go over there, say, 'Hey, I just wanted to say boom, boom, boom.'
"That would have been very different, but eight minutes is wild.”
Minnesota was eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals, 4-2. San Antonio advanced to the West finals to face the No. 1 and defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, which swept the Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers.
"At that point, you know you ain't going back in, so you just trying to get them the respect they deserve," Edwards told reporters after the game. "I just tip my hat to them. They were just the better team."
At least what Edwards did at eight minutes left was endearing, unlike the Detroit Pistons' infamous walkout at eight seconds left during their season-ending 1991 Eastern Conference semifinals Game 4 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
As Detroit was being swept on its home floor and dethroned by the Michael Jordan-led rival Bulls, the "Bad Boys" Pistons All-Stars Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer decided not to shake their opponents' hands, as presented most recently in "The Last Dance" documentary series.
Thomas and Laimbeer began leading the trek past the Bulls' bench to the locker room, even though the game was still being played. That moment marked the end of the Pistons' back-to-back title runs and the beginning of the Bulls' three-peat dynasty, including their 1993 championship win over the Suns.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ex-Sun slams Anthony Edwards quitting early in playoff loss to Spurs
Continue reading...
The NBA media, including ex-Arizona Wildcats and Phoenix natives Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson, have criticized Edwards' polarizing handshakes to the San Antonio Spurs early in the fourth quarter during the Minnesota Timberwolves' season-ending Game 6 home loss on May 15.
Edwards, who scored 24 points, conceded the loss as he was being subbed out with eight minutes remaining when Minnesota was down by 33 points. The final score was 139-109.
The former Suns forward and "Road Trippin' Show" podcast host, Channing Frye, and Jefferson agreed during the show's May 18 episode about why they weren't feeling Edwards' gesture.
"You make a big deal halfway through a timeout to walk across the court," Frye said to Jefferson. "Richard, you would never in your life go across the court. Hey, I'm sitting on the bench, when I see the guys, maybe at the beginning of a timeout, two or three minutes, when everything has calmed down. ... Three minutes, two minutes, then go over there, say, 'Hey, I just wanted to say boom, boom, boom.'
"That would have been very different, but eight minutes is wild.”
Minnesota was eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals, 4-2. San Antonio advanced to the West finals to face the No. 1 and defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, which swept the Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers.
"At that point, you know you ain't going back in, so you just trying to get them the respect they deserve," Edwards told reporters after the game. "I just tip my hat to them. They were just the better team."
At least what Edwards did at eight minutes left was endearing, unlike the Detroit Pistons' infamous walkout at eight seconds left during their season-ending 1991 Eastern Conference semifinals Game 4 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
As Detroit was being swept on its home floor and dethroned by the Michael Jordan-led rival Bulls, the "Bad Boys" Pistons All-Stars Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer decided not to shake their opponents' hands, as presented most recently in "The Last Dance" documentary series.
Thomas and Laimbeer began leading the trek past the Bulls' bench to the locker room, even though the game was still being played. That moment marked the end of the Pistons' back-to-back title runs and the beginning of the Bulls' three-peat dynasty, including their 1993 championship win over the Suns.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ex-Sun slams Anthony Edwards quitting early in playoff loss to Spurs
Continue reading...
