Karl-Anthony Towns' Father Mocks Jimmy Butler's Championship Drought

Karl Towns Sr., the father of NBA champion Karl-Anthony Towns, has publicly addressed the past friction between his son and Jimmy Butler, pointing to Towns' recent championship win as vindication.

"It only hurt me as a father to hear people saying stuff that was negative that wasn’t true to bring him down," Towns Sr. told The Athletic. "But in the end, it all paid up. Jimmy ain’t got no championship. Karl bypassed him."

Towns and Butler played together on the Minnesota Timberwolves, a period marked by tension. Butler reportedly took issue with Towns' demeanor and was upset when Towns received a contract extension before him. This reportedly led to Butler requesting a trade and making critical remarks about the team and its players.

During his time with the Timberwolves, Towns maintained his own approach despite external pressures to change. "I just was never going to change who I was, even when the world was asking me to change who I am, so I could be the character in their story. I just was going to continue to be me," Towns stated at the time.

After Butler and coach Tom Thibodeau departed from Minnesota, Towns remained with the Timberwolves. He helped lead the team to the 2024 Western Conference Finals, their second-ever playoff series win beyond the first round.

Butler, who was traded to Miami in November 2018, has since made two NBA Finals appearances with the Heat. As the 2026-27 NBA season approaches, Towns and his Knicks team are preparing to defend their championship title.