Dirk Nowitzki Sounds Off on Anthony Edwards' Viral Fourth-Quarter Decision

The Minnesota Timberwolves were eliminated from playoff contention Friday night after suffering a 139-109 Game 6 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

With roughly eight minutes remaining in the game, which was already effectively decided at that point, Anthony Edwards walked over to the Spurs bench to congratulate the team, a move that quickly sparked debate across the NBA world.

One person who clearly disagreed with the timing of the gesture was Dirk Nowitzki, who discussed the moment during NBA on Prime.

"I’ve watched the NBA & been a part of it for a long long time and never seen this," Nowitzki said. "A guy walking into the huddle with 8 minutes to go in the 4th quarter and dapping up the entire team. Too much for me. You can do that after the game and show respect. That was a little strange for me."

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Fellow analyst and former NBA star Blake Griffin shared a similar opinion, saying Edwards should have waited until the game officially ended.

"I have to agree. I’ve never seen that," Griffin said. "I like what he said about giving them their respect but you wait, take your licks at the end of the game like everybody else."

Edwards has consistently shown throughout his career that he's an ultra-competitive player, and he explained that his decision came from a place of respect once he realized his night was over.

"At that point, you know you ain’t going back in, so you’re just trying to get them the respect that they deserve," Edwards said

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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 9:04 AM.