MINNEAPOLIS — Karl-Anthony Towns’ peers are quick to criticize. That’s a respect issue.
The Timberwolves star, who missed the Thibodeau reunion game Tuesday while in COVID-19 protocols, was blasted on social media — where else would that happen nowadays? — by Golden State’s Draymond Green, who couldn’t resist posting the following to Towns:
“I once watched from the bench due to us beating the Twolves ass and he was in the game down 20 with 2 mins to go.” Green wrote. “Come on man. Stop talking to people about the “bros” and yelling this is a “brotherhood”. SMH.”
First, we’ll see how long Green will respect the bros code while at his next job as a TV analyst. Second, Towns didn’t deserve such vitriol.
Green was responding to an interview Towns conducted while quarantining, when he said about Russell Westbrook, “He chases stats.” Towns then complimented Westbrook — calling him, among other things, “a hell of a player” — which isn’t deserving given Westbrook’s wretched play with the Lakers. But “chases stats” caught Green’s attention, and it didn’t matter that it was true of a player in Westbrook who compiles triple-doubles but only has one playoff series victory in the last six years.
Would Green have jumped on Kevin Durant or Jimmy Butler or Jayson Tatum or Bradley Beal for something so tame? Probably not.
But Towns isn’t part of the Team USA crew; he plays for the Dominican Republic. And frankly he’s an easy target with an awful career record and a softy reputation.
At 26 and into his seventh season, Towns has only been to the playoffs once and he helped chase off the coach (Tom Thibodeau) who got him there.
Butler, who was also on that Timberwolves squad under Thibodeau, had no issues going at Towns repeatedly, both when teammates and opponents, most recently during a game in May when he called him “a loser” and added, “I already punked you once.” Sixers star Joel Embiid once wrote the following to Towns:
“You’ve been a p—- your whole life. That’s why you were treated like a b—- boy by you know who (Embiid was referencing Butler). I ain’t gonna put out your business but I got the facts about you. Don’t get it twisted. I OWN YOU.”
Geez. Where was Green enforcing the bros code on that one?
Perhaps new Timberwolves co-owner Alex Rodriguez can relate as a baseball player who was exquisitely talented but never quite earned the respect of the fans, especially in New York.
Towns has a chance to rewrite his story after the Timberwolves assembled a team that should be good enough for a playoff berth, with D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards as running mates and a fine coach in Chris Finch.
Victories tend to elicit respect.