Jimmy Butler might be the most hated figure in Minnesota Timberwolves history, and that's not an exaggeration at all. He only played just over one season in Minnesota, and yes, he was the best player on the team that helped break a more than decade-long playoff drought. So why is he so universally hated among the fanbase?
Simply put, he quit on the team and made sure to burn down the building as he left in 2018. He cut off the "Minnesota" lettering on his practice jersey; he called Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins soft; he got upset that the Wolves prioritized giving them extensions over him; and, of course, there was the infamous "third-stringers" practice.
For a while, Towns' name was tarnished as a soft and losing player, thanks to Butler's comments. But fast-forward to today, Towns might have the last laugh. Towns Sr. certainly thinks so.
“It only hurt me as a father to hear people saying stuff that was negative that wasn’t true to bring him down. But in the end, it all paid up. Jimmy ain’t got no championship. Karl bypassed him.”
Karl-Anthony Towns has a better all-time legacy than Jimmy Butler
Let's compare career accolades. Butler currently has six All-Star appearances, five All-NBA Team selections, five All-Defensive Second Team selections, and a Most Improved Player award. That's a solid list, and Butler will likely get into the Hall of Fame at some point. However, Butler is 37 years old; it's likely that his days of receiving those honors are behind him.
Towns currently has six All-Star appearances, three All-NBA team selections, a Rookie of the Year trophy, an NBA Cup trophy, and the biggest of all, he's an NBA champion. There's a quote that's often said: "It don't mean a thing...without the ring," and Towns officially climbed to the top of the NBA mountain last season with the New York Knicks.
Towns is also 30 years old, compared to Butler's 37. He'll likely earn a few more All-Star selections and some more All-NBA selections while he's still in his prime years. It wasn't like Towns was riding the bench for his championship either; he was the second and sometimes third option on offense, while playing some of the best defense of his career on Victor Wembanyama.
It has to feel good for Towns. Butler's comments and antics put a stain on his legacy for years, and now he's achieved something that Butler may never get the chance to do on a Golden State Warriors team well past their glory days.
Without a doubt, Towns got the last laugh over Butler in this beef.
Add us as a preferred source on Google