Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is having one of the best scoring seasons of his career, but one surprising tweak in his game has become a talking point this week.
Edwards revealed that he changed his free-throw form midseason, and the reason behind it is none other than Mark Cuban.
Anthony Edwards Says Mark Cuban’s Criticism Put a Spotlight on His Free Throws
The Dallas Mavericks minority owner publicly called him out for repeatedly stepping over the free-throw line, and Edwards decided it was time to fix it, even if the adjustment hasn’t been easy.
The admission was reported by Timberwolves reporter Andrew Dukowitz, who shared Edwards’ comments and accompanying video on social media. The three-time NBA All-Star didn’t hide how the whole thing started.
“Some famous guy went on Instagram or went on a podcast and was talking about my free throws,” Edwards said with a laugh. “And he brought it to the attention of everybody so I had to change it. I am trying to get used to my free throws.”
Changing a shooting routine midyear, especially at the stripe, is no small task, and Edwards acknowledged the challenge.
“It’s hard, but like as much as I be in the gym it shouldn’t be that hard,” he said. “I try to shoot like 200 free throws a day.”
Cuban’s critique dates back to his September appearance on the “Road Trippin’” podcast with Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson. During the conversation, Cuban claimed Edwards stepped over the line on virtually every attempt and stated that he had even reached out to the league about it.
“Watch Anthony Edwards when he takes a free throw shot,” Cuban said. “Every single time he steps over the line. Every time. If you remember back in the day, I used to send in tapes on Shaq … and they started calling it, and he had to fix his free throws.”
“Anthony Edwards, we had a game against [the Timberwolves] where they were up like 93-92, with a few seconds left. He steps over the line and then the ball goes in the basket. I’m like, this is the easiest call for a referee. Just watch to see if he steps over the line, and they refuse to call it.”
NBA rules are clear: a shooter cannot cross the free-throw line until the ball hits the rim, backboard, or net. Cuban’s criticism didn’t go unnoticed, and Edwards ultimately decided that tightening his mechanics was better than inviting controversy.
Edwards Thriving In 2025-26 Season
If the tweak has affected Edwards, it certainly doesn’t show in his numbers. The Wolves star is hitting 82.3% of his free throws this season, slightly above his career 80.5%.
And from everywhere else on the floor, he’s been even more spectacular, averaging 28.7 points per game and leading the Timberwolves in scoring.
In the Timberwolves’ lone matchup against Cuban’s Mavericks this season, Edwards and his squad walked away with a convincing 120–96 victory.
He has also kept that momentum rolling. In Saturday’s 119–115 win over the Boston Celtics, he went 10-for-11 from the line, while also adding 39 points, looking comfortable and confident with the new routine.
Cuban may no longer be the majority owner of the Mavericks, but he continues to loom large in the basketball landscape. And in this case, he may have unintentionally helped one of the league’s brightest young stars tighten a small part of his game.
For Edwards, the midseason adjustments are just part of the grind. If shooting 200 free throws a day is what it takes, he’s clearly willing to do it.
