3 benefits to Minnesota Timberwolves wake up call in fisticuffs finale
By Bret Stuter
Emotions spilled over into Timberwolves’ locker room
In a rather huge spotlight of NBA Playoffs, the Timberwolves’ dissension in the final game bled over into the locker room, and ultimately into the Twitter feeds of the general public. This is how things work today. While public visibility into the darker details of team dissension is a relatively new event, dissension has been happening since the beginning of the NBA.
So, what’s changed?
There is now a cell phone in every corner, and every cell phone is a pocket video and audio recorder, editor, and ultimately broadcast device. All of that becomes the fuel for instantaneous reports that may be overstated, understated, or simply spun in the wrong direction.
But it’s instantly available. And as much as we all recognize that misinformation is rampant online, if it says what we want to read or believe, we don’t challenge it. Right now, anyone who has an interest in questioning the Minnesota Timberwolves’ acquisition of center Rudy Gobert is having a field day. And the list of NBA fans who are enjoying the Timberwolves’ trials and tribulations. What trials and tribulations?
Bad break? Timberwolves F Jaden McDaniels suffers self-inflicted broken hand. light. Hot
What dark details were reported moments after the final game?
Moments after the Timberwolves’ 2022-23 regular season ended, unnamed sources began to color in the controversy. Here is the report from The Athletic’s NBA Insider Shams Charania:
Sources: After bench incident, Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson had a heated verbal exchange in halftime locker room as well, with Anderson challenging the center at one point saying, "I'll knock your a-- out."
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 10, 2023
Updated story at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/kYHEod0MJd
And also this one from ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski:
ESPN Sources: Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert escalated a verbal argument to a physical encounter after Kyle Anderson told him to “Shut the f--- up, bitch.” The disagreement started with Anderson telling Gobert to block some shots, Gobert telling him to grab a rebound – and ended with a…
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 9, 2023
The truth of the matter is that there is nothing to be gained by replaying or rehashing the event, either publicly or privately. The details are far less important than the motivations that led so many Minnesota Timberwolves to erupt in an emotional display for the world to see. Now, the team simply needs to embrace that passion and harness all of that emotional energy. Why would the team wish to do that?
Because there are some benefits to doing so: