As New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns gears up for an emotional return to the franchise he played nine seasons for, he talked about his blockbuster trade ahead of facing the Minnesota Timberwolves. Towns will be back at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Thursday. In a building he’s very familiar with, he’ll be heading toward the visitor’s locker room for the first time in nearly a decade.
Towns admits that even as a member of the Knicks, he keeps close tabs on his former teammates and watches their games, per Dane Moore.
“I keep in very close contact with them. I watch. I’m an avid Timberwolves fan now. … They’re still my brothers, they’re still my guys.”
He reminded reporters that the blockbuster Knicks trade that landed the Timberwolves Julius Randle doesn’t change his love for his former Timberwolves teammates.
“Just because the trade happened doesn’t mean I lost love for them,” Town added. “My love for them is always going to be there.”
"I keep in very close contact with them. I watch. I'm an avid Timberwolves fan now. ... They're still my brothers, they're still my guys." Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns on keeping tabs on his old squad 🗣️ (via @DaneMooreNBA)
Karl-Anthony Towns posts emotional video ahead of return
The New York Knicks center and Minnesota Timberwolves’ first-round pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Karl-Anthony Towns, returns to Minneapolis for the first time since being traded to the New York Knicks before the start of the regular season. Towns, the Timberwolves’ second all-time leader in scoring behind Kevin Garnett, posted an emotional video ahead of his return to the Target Center.
For nine seasons, it was Towns’ home. Playing for a city Towns envisioned spending his entire career for before the Timberwolves sent him to the Big Apple for Julius Randle. Still, Towns shared a heartfelt video about the years spent in Minnesota to his X, formerly Twitter.
Towns posted the following message to fans in October after his trade to the Knicks, per CBS News’ Anthony Betton.
“Nine years ago, I arrived in Minnesota as a young man with a dream. Little did I know that this place would become my home, and its people would become my family,” Towns said. “Your love, support, and unwavering loyalty have fueled my journey and inspired me to be the best player I could be.”
