Hours after he called Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder “gay,” Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins sought to clarify his remark, saying early Wednesday morning that he wouldn’t use “any term to disrespect” the LGBT community.
Wiggins made the remark about Schroder to reporters following the Wolves’ 119-117 win Tuesday over the Thunder.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with him. Uh, he was just gay. He was acting crazy for no reason,” Wiggins said. “I look right through him. He’s not someone I look at as a problem. Not at all.”
After video surfaced of Wiggins’ comments about Schroder, he later posted on his Twitter account.
Id like to clarify what I said tonight during my post game media session. I said: “I don’t know what’s wrong with him he was just getting… acting crazy for no reason”.
— andrew wiggins (@22wiggins) January 9, 2019
I have the utmost love and respect for the LGBTQIA community and I would never use any term to disrespect them in anyway.
— andrew wiggins (@22wiggins) January 9, 2019
During the game, Schroder was not happy with Minnesota players after the Thunder’s Nerlens Noel was taken off on a stretcher with a head injury while trying to defend a dunk attempt by Wiggins.
At one point after Noel exited, Schroder yelled out, “What are you laughing at?” toward Wolves players who were talking among themselves and laughing.
There was also a skirmish between Schroder and Timberwolves guard Jeff Teague. Two technicals were called on Teague and he was ejected. Schroder also was called for a technical.
In the past, the NBA has punished players for use of anti-gay slurs, most recently fining Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic $25,000 last November for using derogatory and offensive language during a postgame interview.
ESPN’s Royce Young and The Associated Press contributed to this report.