As he returned to his roots to face his former coach, Karl-Anthony Towns revealed that he and Tom Thibodeau long ago “squashed” their beef.
“Two grown men got together and had a conversation,” Towns said before scoring 17 points in the Timberwolves’ 121-112 preseason win over the Knicks at the Garden. “It was done. It was done years ago.”
Towns, a New Jersey product, didn’t want to divulge the details of the talks, but it’s clear he has reached an understanding with Thibodeau, who coached the All-Star power forward through 2 ¹/₂ hectic seasons with Minnesota.
“I got no problems with Thibs. We’ve been squashed that,” Towns said. “I still look at Thibs as one of the best X’s and O’s coaches I’ve been able to play for. He breathes winning and I got nothing but respect for him.”
It was a different tune not long after Thibodeau was fired by the Timberwolves in 2019, when Towns ripped his former coach’s player development strategy as “a slap in the face.”
The gist of Towns’ problem was that Thibodeau only focused on developing basketball players, not human beings.
“We have to make sure our culture is not just based on basketball,” Towns said at the time.
Perhaps the biggest issue during Thibodeau’s tenure with Minnesota was the animosity between the team’s two stars, Towns and Jimmy Butler.
It reached a boiling point when Butler walked out of practice and demanded a trade, having just embarrassed the starters — including Towns — in a scrimmage.
Now, the relationship between Towns and Thibodeau seems to be in a good place.
Thibodeau also praised Towns on Friday.
“Watching the progress he’s made throughout his career, he’s as gifted as they come,” Thibodeau said. “When you look at an offensive player, particularly a big, the skill set that he has, I think we all saw, to win the 3-point contest and stuff like that, there’s nothing he can’t do offensively.”
Towns has been a rumored Knicks trade target for years, a possibility bolstered by the 27-year-old’s ties to the area and team president Leon Rose, who formerly was his agent. Sources said Thibodeau would welcome coaching Towns again.
Towns didn’t want to discuss the Knicks rumors, saying “I don’t really have time to think about that,” but it’s clear he enjoys coming back to the area. At least as a visitor.
“I’m home. So just to be able to be home, see family and friends. Eat food I grew up eating,” he said. “Jersey pizza as well. So it’s always exciting to come back here and play at the Garden.”
Towns’ current team is in a precarious position. The Timberwolves mortgaged their future last summer to acquire Rudy Gobert, but barely qualified for the playoffs. With Anthony Edwards’ extension kicking in next season, Minnesota will have to pay three players — Edwards, Gobert and Towns — a combined $130 million just for one season. That’s not sustainable if the team isn’t competing for a title, which leads to speculation that the Timberwolves will start aggressively dumping salary should they struggle.
“You never know,” said Towns, who has four years and roughly $270 million remaining on his contract. “I’ve been around a while so I know things change quick. Like I said, I just play basketball.”
Towns was represented by Rose from his drafting in 2015 until 2020, when the former CAA agent took over the Knicks’ basketball operations.
Asked about the job Rose has done building the Knicks, Towns replied: “They made multiple playoffs. Made some good runs.
“Brought hope and excitement back to the Garden.”
