KAT’s offseason comments were alarming, but not for the reasons you think

Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star center/power forward Karl-Anthony Towns may not be every fan’s cup of tea. In fact, he is one of the more polarizing NBA stars playing in the league today. He has an incredible range of skills on the basketball court, allowing him to do so much at a level that is far better than his contemporaries. And the Timberwolves roster has relied on him to do so to help the team find success.

But there is the other side of Karl-Anthony Towns. He is a very passionate player who loves to win. But due to the fact that so much was placed on his shoulders so early in his NBA career, he became a bit of a pariah. Team struggles were unfairly laid at his feet. His passionate play was cited for undisciplined play that resulted in turnovers and excessive personal fouls.

KAT can’t do it alone

And there was the other matter, too. The team struggled with him at the helm. It was not until the Minnesota Timberwolves were able to unite him on the basketball court with another NBA star that the team began to show signs of real success.

In June 2017, the Minnesota Timberwolves found a long-elusive playoff berth only after the team traded PG Kris Dunn, wing Zach Levine, and rookie power forward Lauri Markkanen to the Chicago Bulls for shooting guard Jimmy Butler and center Justin Patton.

But that willingness to get ‘good,’ instantly was costly to the Timberwolves in two ways. It forced the Timberwolves to prematurely trade away three players who would themselves become very productive NBA players in their own time.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves roster began to experience a great deal of internal friction. So much so that star Karl-Anthony Towns made it clear that he would not sign an extension with the team unless SG Jimmy Butler was traded.

Text, context, and textiles

It was clear from that moment on that the Minnesota Timberwolves would have to build around Karl-Anthony Towns. And the team, eager to compete in postseason basketball, was more than happy to do so.

There are times to speak up, and times not to do so. No, I’m not talking about suppressing anyone’s freedom of speech. But expression comes in many forms. For NBA players, the best way to express yourself is on the basketball court. That is not always how things work out, though. A hot microphone is just a tool, a means of sharing a message. But what that message is can make that microphone into a weapon.

Sometimes weapons injure the person wielding them.

Podcasts are made for NBA powerhouses

A simple podcast that listens in on a conversation among friends can be very entertaining. It gives fans a chance to hear meaningful details about players’ real lives and does so in a casual climate of a living room and friendly conversation. But it can also easily lead to overstating perspectives, being taken out of context, and being held up to a very unforgiving public forum in the court of social media.

Sometimes, I believe that the best advice is to be very succinct in public forums. What may be well intended is easily taken out of context and spun off in a completely different direction. That is not something that is commonly shared among NBA players. Conserve words, invest money, and plan for life after basketball.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are not an established NBA powerhouse team yet. As much as the team would love to be in that category, the Wolves players would be well served to speak with their actions on the basketball court.

Is this thing on?

What a player says does not always translate to what a player meant to say when taken out of context. And for a player who has carried the Minnesota Timberwolves on his back at times, there is bound to be a bit of pride in accomplishments that may seem less grandiose when held up to the light in public.

Which is exactly what happened in this case. Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Karl-Anthony Towns and former teammate Patrick Beverley were discussing how special the NBA Championship run for the Denver Nuggets was for the team and the city.

Paw in mouth disease

But in an attempt to shine a spotlight on a significant chapter for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Towns comes off as petty and, well, a bit delusional . . .

So why comment on something that would be controversial?

Well, it starts with the fact that it was one Minnesota Timberwolves former player chatting with an active Timberwolves player. Tall tales of reminiscing often take the form of larger-than-life in their recollection and retelling. It was not meant to be informative information. Rather, it was two former NBA teammates who were reminiscing about their own glory days, a collaboration that did not last long enough.

It was never intended to set the record straight. With smartphones that film selected images, podcasts that can be dissected into viral sound bites, and so many persons who have become famous for being offended by the words of others, NBA players imperil themselves in each and every interview. Towns delivered sound bites that far too many extracted and ran with, feigning offense from an NBA player who was more than happy to share some pride in the performance that he and a former teammate produced together.

Don’t feed the animals

The problem was that it was all happening with an open microphone. And as we all know, open microphones are very unforgiving. The truth is that national media treats stars in professional basketball. There are those NBA stars that are promoted heavily, the ‘future of the sport,’ or some other cliche adage that suggests that they will lead the NBA to bigger and better heights.

Then there is the other manner of treatment. These NBA stars, whether rightfully so or not, are treated like the heels of the sport and are vilified at almost every opportunity. Right now, Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star center/power forward Karl-Anthony Towns is treated by the national media as some version of ‘rassling villain, pushing his words into the worst contexts, and feeding casual NBA fans with a multitude of reasons to root against the guy.

Don’t believe me? Already NBA pundits are weighing in, and the reactions to this diatribe on the Pat Bev podcast did not give Karl-Anthony Towns’ declaration a very warm reception.

Even to this point, he is controversial, but not out of control. But he crosses the line on the next little ditty that he downloaded during the Patrick Beverley podcast.

Isn’t confidence an admirable trait in competitive professional sports? Aren’t fans looking for the player who wants the basketball in his hands with time running out and the game on the line? Aren’t highlight reels filled with those last-second heroics that showcase a player who is willing to put his neck and the game on the line by attempting a final game-winning shot?

And yet, if that player voices that level of confidence, he is suddenly too cocky, too filled with hubris, too much of a ‘me not we,’ type of basketball player?  Or is it simply how the narrative is spun, and if a LeBron James or a Victor Wembanyama makes the same statement, it is lauded in sports headlines around the nation?

Let your play on the basketball court speak for you

Was Karl-Anthony Towns in the wrong? Or did the multitude of NBA analysts, pundits, and bloggers simply express outrage to fill their news timeslot on a slow news day? It is that reason that compelled me to hold off on even addressing the topic.

Should KAT have been so outspoken in the Patrick Beverley podcast?  No.  Let others praise your accomplishments.  Be willing to display humility. Take a page out of your teammate’s book, All-Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards, who has repeatedly deferred and deflected praise in his game to highlight how much he depends upon his teammates.  Nobody gets upset with teammates who praise others.

Show us, don’t tell us

It’s a concerning statement, but perhaps not in the way that some have chided him in response. There is never a shortage of discontent with plays called by an NBA team’s head coach on a struggling team, and just like arseholes, everybody has their own opinion. However, the willingness to promote oneself publicly when competing in a team sport is a huge concern.

Of course, others were more than happy to push back on the words themselves.

I’ve always believed that if professional athletes want everyone to see how great they are, they need to show us before telling us. Humility is a better path to greatness than overconfidence and cockiness. That’s just my personal preference.

Competition can bring out the best and the worst in us. The challenge of any competitive sport can drive us to become the best version of ourselves each and every day. But that competitive drive must be matched with an equally strong level of discipline. The goal is not to win, per se, but rather to become the best version of oneself, and the best competitor the sport has ever witnessed.

Passionate players need a bit of social media leeway

With so much going on in the off-season, it’s easy to get swept up in the national narratives that headline professional basketball. But let’s keep in mind just how good Karl Anthony Towns can be. Deep down, we all know that a player who is that versatile and has accomplished what he has accomplished deserves the right to puff out his chest a bit.

When you are the pioneer for a new wave of NBA centers, you have the right to be a bit prideful.  Even as Timberwolves fans rally around the matter of trading KAT or not trading KAT, we should keep in mind that there are no replacements or substitutes available in the NBA for what Karl-Anthony Towns can do on the basketball court.

Towns is vital to Timberwolves success

Yes, NBA teams can win without him, as proven by the Denver Nuggets 2023 NBA Championship. And it may come down to a decision to take a run at an NBA Championship without Karl-Anthony Towns due to fiscal limits to the Timberwolves roster.  But the team needn’t make that decision just yet.

Why part ways with one of the Top-20 NBA players today?

So what is it about the offseason that is alarming about KAT’s comments?  Let’s take a closer look.

Glory days are reminiscing recollections

As we mature, we find ourselves toggling between what lies in our future, and what lies in our past. And for heaven’s sake, the future of the Minnesota Timberwolves is pretty bright and hopeful right now.  So what about the future of the Minnesota Timberwolves does not instill such passionate optimism and hope from Towns?

When you look at the Timberwolves roster, and consider the ages of various players, it’s clear that the Timberwolves have begun to emphasize younger talent. In age ranges, there are only three Timberwolves players who are older than Towns.  So of the 21 players currently on the Timberwolves roster, 17 players are younger.

Is there a disconnect between Karl-Anthony Towns and the younger players on this team?

Circle the wagons

Perhaps I’m reading more into this, but the truth of the matter is that the Timberwolves have built a roster that complements the combined talents of SG Anthony Edwards, PF Karl-Anthony Towns, and C Rudy Gobert.

That is NOT to say that this team does not also depend on the young and rising stars like SF Jaden McDaniels, C Naz Reid, SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker, or even F Leonard Miller. But the team is built to win now and extend that success over many years as younger players assume starting and leadership roles on this team.

In my opinion, this season could turn out to be the best ever for Karl-Anthony Towns. The Timberwolves have built a formidable roster that can handle the heavy lifting in terms of defense, and the Timberwolves roster is loaded with long-distance marksmen who can nail a corner three. In short, the basketball court is KAT’s domain to exploit once again.

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with a professional basketball player exuding tremendous confidence during an interview, especially when the host is reminiscing about past achievements with that player. But that was then, this is now.  I would have been more encouraged to hear less about what was and more about the potential of what this team can deliver in 2023-24.

Curiously, that is the approach that Anthony Edwards takes in his interviews. I look for Towns to praise his teammates, to build them up in his comments, to focus less on his accomplishments, and to focus more on the team’s achievements. That is what the Timberwolves need right now, true leadership.

The baton has likely been handed off to Anthony Edwards in many ways. But there is something new in this tone from Towns.  Has all of the trade rumors eaten away at the way he feels about the team? Or does he simply believe that his path will part at the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline? Stay tuned.

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