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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Says Anthony Edwards’ Apology After Homophobic Video Is Not Enough
Anthony Edwards is undeniably one of the top young players in the league right now. The competitive Wolves guard was the No.1 pick of the 2020 NBA Draft and was instrumental in helping the Wolves reach the playoffs in this past season.
His performances paired with his outgoing and fun personality has also led to Edwards becoming a popular and marketable figure for companies.
But last week. Edwards’ marketability may have changed, after he posted a homophobic Story on Instagram.
Edwards then realized the mistake he made and posted an apology via his social media channels.
“What I said was immature, hurtful, and disrespectful, and I’m incredibly sorry. It’s unacceptable for me or anyone to use that language in such a hurtful way, there’s no excuse for it, at all. I was raised better than that!”
What I said was immature, hurtful, and disrespectful, and I’m incredibly sorry. It’s unacceptable for me or anyone to use that language in such a hurtful way, there’s no excuse for it, at all. I was raised better than that!
— Anthony Edwards (@theantedwards_) September 11, 2022
NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar now reacted to Edwards’ apology. Kareem has never been one to mince his words – not during his active playing career, and certainly not after.
Kareem is outspoken on many topics and doesn’t shy away when it comes to voicing his opinion. On his substack, the six-time champion now said that the young star should be ashamed, while also saying that a simple apology is not enough.
It would be easy to dismiss Edwards’ immaturity—he’s only 21—if not for the fact that we’ve seen so many cases of famous athletes and owners in the news spouting racism, misogyny, and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments. This damages sports in general and their teams specifically, and revives the old stereotype of the dumb, bullying jock.
But more important, it perpetuates prejudice against a group and that prejudice often leads to restricting rights and to violence. I don’t think an apology—however heartfelt—is enough. Edwards needs to repair the damage with some voluntary community service with LGBTQ+ organizations, particularly youth groups, to show his support. If he can’t do that much to undo the harm he’s caused, then his apology is meaningless.
After an encouraging rookie debut with the Wolves, Edwards picked up where he left off and showed better output in his sophomore year with averages of 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game on 44.1% shooting from the field.
He shined in the play-in tournament which happened to be one of the biggest games of his career so far, putting up 30 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists on 47.6% shooting to lead the team past the Los Angeles Clippers.
Although Edwards and the Wolves didn’t have much luck in the playoffs, hopes on the 20-year old swingman remain high.
