Charles Barkley Sends Stern Warning to Anthony Edwards

When it comes to Anthony Edwards, the NBA superstar has a fan in Charles Barkley.

But as the NBA legend watches Edwards in support of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ franchise player, he recently issued a stern warning to the guard, who recently had a brief, heated exchange with his head coach during a February 26 matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers.

“I think Anthony has to be careful,” Barkley said.

“When you talk about the greatest players ever, we’re talking about San Antonio, [Gregg Popovich], he got on everybody’s case. Especially the great players. Anthony is a great player, but if Anthony is not going to listen to the coach, he kind of handicaps the coach.”

Following the Timberwolves’ win over the Clippers, which was capped off by an incredibly tough shot from Edwards, the star guard noted that his coach wanted him to pass the ball in that moment. The confident young star took matters into his own hands.

What Did Anthony Edwards Say After The Timberwolves’ Win?

Anthony Edwards lands some stern advice from Anthony Edwards.

“I just tried to shoot it every time that I touched it. Some people say that I should’ve passed the ball—I’ll be alright—I think we’ll have a better chance of winning if I shoot it,” said Edwards.

“Me and my coach got the best relationship ever. He be right most of the time. 98% of the time he be right. He told me to pass the ball tonight and I should have passed it. I shot it instead, and it went in, you know? The basketball Gods were on my side tonight.”

Finch denied telling Edwards not to shoot the ball during his postgame press conference.

“The other players are watching,” Barkley continued. “You let Anthony do stuff, you can’t talk to me! I did the same thing Anthony did. That’s the danger. The coach is trying to win.”

The way Barkley sees it, Edwards is in a position where he’s expected to lead by example. If the example he’s setting is going against the coach’s orders, then it places the head coach in a sticky situation if a non-star takes similar action and gets a different reaction from Finch.

At the same time, players understand that today’s NBA is much different. It’s star-driven, and most franchises would want the ball in their top star’s hands in clutch time, no matter how difficult the shot may be. That time around, it worked. The Timberwolves closed out the Clippers 94-88.

The Timberwolves were back on the floor on March 1 for a battle against the Denver Nuggets. All of the Finch-Edwards concerns were wiped away.

Minnesota hit the road to Colorado and collected a 117-108 win. Edwards checked in for 39 minutes. He shot 9-19 from the field, draining three of his nine three-pointers. The star guard wrapped up the game with 21 points, six assists, three rebounds, one steal, and two blocks.

This season is year six for Edwards, and there’s no question about his status as a top-tier star in the game. Through 51 games, Edwards has produced averages of 29.5 points, 3.7 assists, and 5.2 rebounds. The young veteran is shooting 49% from the field and 39% from deep.

On Tuesday, March 3, Edwards and the Timberwolves will meet for an 8 PM ET matchup in Minnesota. The fourth-seeded quad will be on the hunt for its fourth win in a row.

Justin Grasso Justin Grasso is an NBA reporter, covering trending league news, transactions, injuries, and player developments. He is a credentialed journalist with nearly a decade of insider access. More about Justin Grasso