Anthony Edwards may have accidentally given Minnesota its new tourism slogan…at least unofficially.
What started as a spur-of-the-moment joke during a postgame interview with Charles Barkley on “Inside the NBA,” has turned into a viral internet sensation and maybe a new catch phrase by the gopher state’s tourism board.
While interviewing Edwards after his team defeated the reigning world champion Denver Nuggets in a spectacular come-from-behind win to clinch their ticket to the Western Conference Finals on Sunday, May 19, Barkley joked with Edwards that he hadn’t been to Minnesota “in probably 20 years.”
Without thinking, Edwards gave a chuckle and told Barkley in no uncertain terms, “Bring ya a–!”
The interview clip immediately went viral and inspired Minneapolis born comedian Jon Savitt to purchase the domain bringyaass.com and redirect the site’s traffic to the website for Minnesota’s tourism department, Explore Minnesota.
Savitt later joked on X/Twitter, calling the effort “my legacy,” as Explore Minnesota updated its website with a new welcome message for visitors.
“Welcome to a state of possibility. Whether you’re planning a visit or pondering a move, Minnesota is ready to welcome you. In other words…. Bring ya a–,” reads the message on the website, while related social media posts feature the slogan and a caption that reads, “Minnesota is ready for you, basketball fans! 🏀 Let’s go, @timberwolves!”
Minnesota governor Tim Waltz even got in on the fun using a side eye emoji in reply to a X/Twitter inquiry on whether he could make the phrase a permanent state slogan.
The Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the 2024 Western Conference Finals on Wednesday, May 22.
