MIAMI — 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.
“I’m a Knick,” Towns repeated three times when asked about Butler. “You’re bringing up Minnesota.
“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.
On Wednesday morning, Heat center Bam Adebayo snickered when reminded that Butler and Towns have a history.
But he didn’t think Butler was carrying extra motivation into the Knicks game — at least not until something triggers his memory.
“I don’t think he gets fired up for matchups,” Adebayo said. “I think if they start it, that’s when it starts. Or he’ll feel like — he’ll see something, and he just digs in.
“He’ll see body language, something small, and just goes with it.”
The story from the 2018 practice is well documented with the three main characters reunited Wednesday at the Kaseya Center.
According to former Timberwolves guard Jeff Teague, who recounted the practice on his podcast recently, Butler, ticked off about not receiving a contract extension (while Towns was just signed for the max), arrived three days into training camp and refused Thibodeau’s order to scrimmage on the team with the regular starters.
Butler instead teamed with the third stringers, demanded to defend Towns and beat the starters.
“Jimmy and KAT ain’t like each other. That’s another part of the story I’ll get to one day. They ain’t like each other,” Teague said. “So they jump the ball. We throw it to KAT, first play. Jimmy steals it. They go down and score. Like, ‘Come on KAT, post his little ass up, man! He can’t guard you.’
“Jimmy’s like, ‘F–k outta here! He’s trash!’ Steal the ball again. They go down and score. Jimmy started talking to the GM, everybody in the gym. ‘Y’all better motherf–kers pay me! I’m like that!’”
Towns relayed his version of the scrimmage on a podcast just last year.
“We play, I was balling. He was passing a lot,” Towns told host Paul George. “He got one free throw. And then we had a moment where we were arguing with each other. He said some s–t. I said some s–t back. I wasn’t going for that. And then Thibs started shaking [with excitement]. … And I remember what [Butler] was talking about, he was talking about a preseason game against the Bucks. And I said what I said. I love what I said, too. And they ended up winning the game, I think they got a last-second shot to go in.”
Butler then walked out of the practice and into an interview with ESPN to demand a trade.
He logged just 10 more games with the Timberwolves, and five years later Towns joined Butler’s rival in New York.
“I’m a Knick. That’s all I’m worried about,” Towns said. “My time as a Knick.”