Anthony Edwards on Jimmy Butler going chest-to-chest with him: “That s*** be fake”

Late in the third quarter of the Timberwolves win over the Heat Wednesday night, Jimmy Butler and Anthony Edwards got chest to chest in a typical NBA scene: Two players squaring off as if they were going to fight with no actual intention of fighting. It happens so much around the league it basically goes unnoticed.

Except after the game, ANT called it for what it is. From Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic:

“He ain’t finna fight nobody out there,” Edwards said. “All that walking up on each other, that’s stuff for the birds, man. I ain’t about to fight. I don’t get into all that. That s*** be fake.”

Anthony Edwards and Jimmy Butler exchanging some words.

Heat lead the Timberwolves 89-88 in the 4th 👀pic.twitter.com/gZBMGR1q9M

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) November 25, 2021

Butler may not like it, but Edwards is right. That was never going to be a fight. It was a lot of machismo for show, but nobody was going to risk a technical. Nobody wanted to go (only Isaiah Steward recently wanted to really fight).

Edwards calls it like he sees it; he’s not a veteran trying to keep a low profile. He’s blunt. We could use more of that around the league.

Butler needs to be looking ahead, the Heat have an interesting early-season showdown against the surprising Bulls on Saturday night.