Karl-Anthony Towns’ father has revisited the criticism his son faced during his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves, including his difficult relationship with former teammate Jimmy Butler.
Karl Towns Sr. said it was difficult watching his son receive criticism that he believed was unfair, particularly during the turbulent period involving Butler in Minnesota.
“It only hurt me as a father to hear people saying stuff that was negative that wasn’t true to bring him down,” Towns Sr. told The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.
“But in the end, it all paid up. Jimmy ain’t got no championship. Karl bypassed him.”
Towns and Butler had a complicated relationship during their time as teammates. Tensions increased after Towns received a contract extension before Butler, who later requested a trade and publicly criticized members of the organization and some of Minnesota’s younger players.
Towns chose not to respond publicly to Butler’s criticism and said he remained committed to handling the situation in his own way.
“I just was never going to change who I was, even when the world was asking me to change who I am, so I could be the character in their story. I just was going to continue to be me,” Towns said.
Towns remained in Minnesota after Butler and coach Tom Thibodeau departed and eventually helped the Timberwolves reach the 2024 Western Conference finals.
Butler later reached two NBA Finals with the Miami Heat before eventually joining the Golden State Warriors. Towns, meanwhile, moved to New York and became an NBA champion with the Knicks in 2026.
