Karl-Anthony Towns came under fire after the Timberwolves’ Game 3 loss to the Mavs in the 2024 Western Conference finals. The 116-107 defeat saw Towns struggle, especially with his 3-point shooting. Afterward, KAT claimed he was taking 1,500 shots a day in practice. But that didn’t sit well with NBA legends. Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Draymond Green quickly criticized the 28-year-old. They accused Towns of “capping” and called him a liar. Yet, Anthony Edwards stood by his ‘bro’, dismissing the harsh words from the critics.
KAT has been gatekeeping this secret for almost five months now. Within this period a lot has happened. For example, Team USA won their third consecutive gold at the Olympics. Meanwhile, Towns will separate from Anthony Edwards as he embarks on his new journey with the Knicks next season. So, without a moment’s hesitation, he shared with Shannon Sharpe what Ant-Man reacted like following the unprecedented flak.
On the Club Shay Shay podcast, the host asked Towns if the NBA legends’ questioning of his work ethic bothered him. During this conversation, a special and supportive side of Anthony Edwards emerged. So, KAT addressed the matter at hand and said: “I know the work I put in. So, I don’t even have to explain it. I know who was there when the gym was dark, and I know who turned the lights on. I ain’t worried about that.” Then he shared: “I know one thing when that was said, I know ANT was not happy about that. Because he was like, ‘I know, I’ve seen you there. When I show up, you’ve been there sweating. And when I leave, you’re still going for another one’ .” Anthony Edwards stood in solidarity with his 4x NBA All-Star, the now-former teammate.
When you watch someone walk into the practice sessions and give their best day in and day out, it is obvious to find such accusations pointless. Anthony Edwards’ support for KAT is understandable, especially with Towns allegedly hitting 1,500 shots a day, making improvement inevitable. Now that Towns is gone, Edwards shoulders all the responsibilities for the Timberwolves.
KAT’s trade to the Knicks hurt Anthony Edwards
The Minnesota Timberwolves‘ epic trio has officially broken up. With Karl-Anthony Towns joining the New York Knicks, only Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert remain to lead the team. ANT, who considers Towns his brother, felt hurt when he heard the trade news. Speaking to the reporters on Minnesota’s media day, the 23-year-old shooting guard expressed his candid emotions. “I think everybody knows KAT my brother so that definitely hurt,” Edwards said.
He added: “It’s a business. I just gotta roll with it. I’m ready to get to know them [Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo] and try to get it figured out as fast as we can because we trying to get back to where we was and go even farther.” The Knicks traded Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo for Karl-Anthony Towns. The surprise trade had sent shockwaves in the basketball-verse. But it seems (quite obviously) that the T-Wolves’ top 3 were more shocked than anybody else. However, things cannot rewind, it is what it is now.
The 2024/25 season will be in action soon. Friends will be rivals from now on, and the competition will keep getting fierce. On one hand, Karl-Anthony Towns will dance to the Knicks’ rhythms. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards will continue with his MJ-esque gameplay for the Timberwolves. It will be an interesting sight when both teams will have a face-off. Who do you think will have the upper hand?
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