Anthony Edwards did not wait for the final horn. That was the part everybody noticed.
With 8:01 left in Game 6, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ season essentially over and the San Antonio Spurs on their way to a 139-109 closeout win, Edwards walked over to the Spurs’ bench and congratulated their players and coaching staff.
Anthony Edwards went to the Spurs’ bench to congratulate them on winning the series with 8 minutes to go.pic.twitter.com/5HLhHi9GmB
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 16, 2026
It was a quick gesture, but it immediately became one of the most dissected moments of the night. In a game already decided by San Antonio’s shooting, size, rebounding and ruthless early punch, Edwards’ handshake line became the image people could not stop arguing about.
The Spurs had earned the moment. Stephon Castle delivered a game-high 32 points and 11 rebounds, De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists, and Victor Wembanyama finished with 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks as San Antonio advanced to the Western Conference Finals against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs shot 55.7% from the field, 47.4% from three, out-rebounded Minnesota 60-29, and effectively broke the game open with a 20-0 run to start the second quarter.
Edwards, who led Minnesota with 24 points on 9-of-26 shooting, later explained the moment simply. He said that once he knew he was not going back into the game, he wanted to give San Antonio the respect it deserved. Afterward, he was even more direct about the series itself:
“Tip my hat to them. They’re just a better team.”
That explanation did not satisfy everyone. On NBA Nightcap, Dirk Nowitzki said he had watched and been part of the league for a long time and had never seen a player walk into the opposing huddle with eight minutes left to dap up the entire team. Nowitzki said showing respect after the game was one thing, but doing it during the fourth quarter was “a little strange” and “too much” for him.
While Blake Griffin agreed, Udonis Haslem was even more old-school, saying that as a leader he would have stayed with his own bench, supported the teammates still finishing the game, and waited until the final buzzer to congratulate the opponent.
Dirk on Ant: “I’ve watched the NBA & been a part of it for a long long time. I’ve never seen this. A guy walking into the huddle with 8 minutes to go in the 4th and dapping up the entire team…”
Blake: “I have to agree…”
UD: “…As a leader…I would not show that weakness…” pic.twitter.com/5QwvCuDimR
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 16, 2026
That is where the moment becomes bigger than Edwards. It becomes a basketball culture argument. One side sees sportsmanship, honesty and a young star accepting defeat without bitterness. The other sees timing, optics and leadership, the idea that even in a blowout, even when the starters are done, the symbolic fight should last until the clock says it is over.
The truth is probably somewhere in between. Edwards was not quitting on the Wolves. The game was gone, and he knew it. But the sight of a franchise player crossing enemy lines before the final horn will always hit differently in the playoffs, especially when the season is ending and the cameras are still rolling.
San Antonio left Minneapolis with a series win. Edwards left with respect for the team that beat him. And the NBA left with one more debate about what losing is supposed to look like.
