Wiggins denies calling Schroder 'gay' after game, insists he was misheard
Minnesota Timberwolves wing Andrew Wiggins denies referring to Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder as gay during a postgame interview after his team's 119-117 win Tuesday night, insisting he was misheard.
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
With Ryan Saunders - son of the late, revered Timberwolves icon Flip Saunders - making his debut as interim head coach, Wiggins and Schroder got into a tense moment in the third quarter. According to The Athletic's Jon Krawcynzki, Schroder thought Wiggins was laughing after Nerlens Noel was stretchered off the court, and proceeded to lock eyes with the Timberwolves wing for two straight minutes.
When asked about the exchange, Wiggins appeared to refer to Schroder using a homophobic remark.
Andrew Wiggins just casually saying that Dennis Shroder is gay pic.twitter.com/xhK458iYtO
— Dead Serious (@Deadseriousness) January 9, 2019
Wiggins followed up his initial response with a second tweet, reiterating his "love and respect for the LGBTQIA community."
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
There is recent precedent in the NBA for players flippantly using homophobic language in a formal interview situation. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was fined $25,000 earlier this season after using the phrase "no homo."
However, there has also been a notable instance of a player unintentionally uttering a slur. Last season, Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard J.J. Redick accidentally used a racial slur in a video meant to wish Chinese basketball fans a happy new year. Similarly to the Wiggins situation, Redick insisted he had been tongue-tied and that the slur in question was not a part of his vocabulary.