Karl-Anthony Towns didn't bring any Jimmy Butler baggage into Knicks rivalry
Karl-Anthony Towns has changed uniforms and said his turbulent past with Jimmy Butler is irrelevant ahead of Wednesday night’s matchup against the Heat.
Karl-Anthony Towns changed uniforms and said his turbulent past with Jimmy Butler is irrelevant before he punished his old nemesis with 44 points in Wednesday’s 116-107 victory over the Heat.
“I’m a Knick,” Towns repeated three times when asked about Butler. “You’re bringing up Minnesota.
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“I’m not a Timberwolf anymore. I’m a Knick.”
Butler and Towns were teammates for just over a season in Minnesota, clashing both during their tenure together and after the separation in 2019.
The most famous incident involves Butler reportedly tormenting Towns in a practice under coach Tom Thibodeau.
It transitioned quickly to Butler being traded to Philadelphia and a rift between Thibodeau and Towns.
The coach and center, now reunited in New York, squashed their beef in a subsequent conversation — “That was years and years ago,” Towns said Wednesday. “We are totally different men. So it’s cool to be in this spot in our lives together.”
But there’s been less indication of peace with Butler, as the two have jawed back-and-forth in head-to-heads.