Udonis Haslem Says Anthony Edwards 'Showed Weakness' in Game 6 Loss to Spurs
Anthony Edwards has never been shy about doing things his own way. But one moment in Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs sparked a debate that went well beyond the final score.
With San Antonio leading by 33 points and roughly eight minutes left in the fourth quarter at Target Center, Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch pulled his starters and went to the third unit. The game was effectively over.
Edwards, who finished with 24 points on 9-of-26 shooting, walked across the floor and started congratulating Spurs players before the clock hit zero. For some, it read as a classy move under tough circumstances. For others, it was the wrong call entirely. Udonis Haslem fell firmly in the second camp.
Udonis Haslem Calls Out Anthony Edwards' Leadership
The three-time NBA champion didn't entertain the gesture during the postgame segment on NBA on Prime, making clear that for him, this wasn't really about sportsmanship. It was about what that moment said about Edwards as a leader.
"As great as Ant is as a basketball player, there's still some growth for him as well," Haslem said. "Because as a leader, I would not have walked down there and shook their hands with eight minutes left in the game."
"I would not show that weakness." He added, "The game is not over, and I've got eight minutes left. I still have smoke coming out of my ear that I'm losing,"
Haslem also made the point that if the roles were reversed, Victor Wembanyama would not have come over to shake hands before the final buzzer. His view was quite simple. A leader stays locked in until the game ends, especially with teammates still out there competing and role players giving everything off the bench.
Udonis Haslem on Anthony Edwards:
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 16, 2026
"As a leader, I would not have walked down there and shook their hands with 8 minutes left." pic.twitter.com/kztAaAo16I
The right move, in his mind, was to channel that energy back into his own group. The handshakes could wait until the horn sounded. Moreover, Haslem wasn't the only one caught off guard.
Dirk Nowitzki said he had never seen a player leave his huddle during the fourth quarter of a playoff game to start greeting the other team. That's a long career's worth of games to pull from. Blake Griffin had a similar reaction. Griffin acknowledged that Edwards was coming from a place of respect, but agreed with the broader sentiment. There's a time and place for it. That moment wasn't it.
Edwards' Spurs gesture will likely follow him into the offseason. How he responds to the criticism next season could say plenty about where his leadership is headed.
Related: Anthony Edwards Shares Reason for Unexpected Gesture Toward Spurs' Bench
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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 7:09 AM.