Knicks Karl-Anthony Towns doesnt know what Minnesota greeting will be with trade emotions still raw
ORLANDO — NBA seasons are like dog years.And nine with the same team is rare, especially in Adam Silver’s era of player empowerment/movement.To put it in local perspective, the last Knick to play nine seasons with the franchise was Allan Houston — roughly 20 years ago — and he missed 94 of his last 164 games.
It translated to a run of 16 years and counting as a Knicks executive for Houston, a position with excellent job security, having survived several regime changes.Karl-Anthony Towns returns Thursday to the Target Center in a similar context.He was drafted first overall by the Timberwolves in 2015 and sits No.
2 on the franchise’s all-time list of points, rebounds and blocks.Until Anthony Edwards alters the order, the list of greatest Timberwolves starts No.
1 Kevin Garnett and No.2 Towns, without much debate.Despite this history, Towns said he’s unsure how Thursday’s crowd will react to his return.
He also passionately defended his commitment to the franchise that traded him in October.“I don’t know (how they will embrace me).But I know that every single day that I put on that Timberwolves jersey I gave the absolute best of me even when I wasn’t 100 percent,” Towns said after his latest double-double with the Knicks, a victory Sunday over the Magic.
“I gave them all of me mentally, physically, spiritually.I was there nine years, so I go there with a lot of pride and joy for the memories that I have.”Towns then referenced his final moment with the organization in May, when the T-Wolves were eliminated in the conference finals and he emotionally blew kisses to the crowd.On the eve of training camp, the 29-year-old was traded for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.“I know the last time I was there, I looked myself in the mirror and I knew I gave the state, the city, the organization over there everything I could possibly give and even found myself giving more than I thought I had,” said Towns, who returned for the playoffs last s...