Karl-Anthony Towns reacts to 'emotional' welcome in Timberwolves return
12/20/2024 10:19 AM
Karl-Anthony Towns kept saying that he gave the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise everything he had before they traded him away to the New York Knicks this past offseason in an effort to maintain financial flexibility. And that, indeed, he has. So in his first return to Target Center, the place he called home for the first nine seasons of his career, Towns received a well-deserved ovation, with the 29-year-old star center having the last laugh as well after the Knicks demolished the Timberwolves on Thursday, 133-107.
Timberwolves fans give Karl-Anthony Towns a LOUD ovation in his return to Minnesota pic.twitter.com/qse5uBc0vg
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 20, 2024
All Towns could do was bask in the adoration of the Timberwolves fans in attendance at Target Center, and he thanked them for their undying love and support.
“It’s always great to get love back from a place I dedicated my life to. Really happy that the fans appreciate the work I gave here,” Towns told Jared Greenberg of TNT in a sideline interview during the game.
"Really happy that the fans appreciate the work I gave here"
Karl-Anthony Towns shows gratitude towards Minnesota fans
(via @NBAonTNT)pic.twitter.com/mt07nV9Vx5
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 20, 2024
Since the Timberwolves drafted Towns with the first overall pick in 2015, he has been nothing but a consummate professional. He has always been involved in the community, and through the good and the bad times, the 29-year-old has always been a symbol of joy and positivity for the franchise. But now, it is certainly bittersweet for Timberwolves fans to see Towns flourish with the Knicks.
It’s a bit of a shame that Towns wasn’t able to reap the rewards of being the Timberwolves’ franchise cornerstone for very long. He only made the playoffs thrice with the team, and the front office decided to pivot and cut costs after their franchise-best season that culminated in a Western Conference Finals appearance. And now, Minnesota’s offense is scuffling all the while Towns is enjoying life with the Knicks.
Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks send Timberwolves into a deeper spiral
The 2024-25 season has seen a few ups and downs from both the Knicks and the Timberwolves. Both teams have been doing their fair share of adjusting in the aftermath of their blockbuster trade this past offseason. But the early returns on that trade show that the Knicks may have gotten the upper hand — with Karl-Anthony Towns posting the most efficient season of his career thus far.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are missing Towns a bit extra with each passing game. Julius Randle’s effort has been uneven, Donte DiVincenzo hasn’t been able to recapture his form last season with the Knicks, and Anthony Edwards has been struggling with his efficiency as of late.
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