Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns has had a roller coaster ride in the Twin Cities.
Upon leaving Kentucky, he was considered to be one of their next great prospects. Eventually selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, he hit the ground running. After winning Rookie of the Year, he averaged what were then career-highs of 25.1 points and 12.3 rebounds per game in his second season. The next two seasons saw him earning his first All-Star selections.
At that time, he was also being viewed as the face of the franchise. In layman’s terms, he was considered to be the best and most popular player on the roster.
These days, Towns is no longer the face of the Timberwolves. That mantle has been passed to Anthony Edwards, who Minnesota drafted first overall in 2020. Ever since he’s been in town though, there’s been a sense that Towns may not be too thrilled about being replaced as the face of the franchise. After all, these aren’t just professional athletes, they’re humans.
“I feel like it’s weird,” Towns tells Podcast P with Paul George. “Like, the media tries to make it seem like I don’t want Ant to succeed.”
“I’m the biggest Ant cheerleader I can be,” says the nine-year veteran. “(The) biggest fan. I want to see him win… to see him grow to be the face of the NBA. I want to see him do things that (have) never been done in the NBA before…”
KAT’s support for Anthony Edwards is second to none 💯 pic.twitter.com/hyRGi9bxet
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) August 19, 2024
“We just want to see each other win,” Towns continues. “Like big bro, little bro. I want to see him win more than even me…”
Wolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns Offers Insight Into Relationship With Anthony Edwards
If put in Towns’s shoes, many people would admit to feeling chagrined or cheated in that circumstance. No matter how much they understand the how and why of what transpired, it’s not what they would’ve wanted.
However, another group of people could have a different perspective. Perhaps they grew tired of being in the spotlight and being placed under the microscope. Perhaps they were the type of people who preferred being insulated from the media. They may even just have more maturity or less of an ego than others. Whatever the case, these are individuals who would have a more positive view of the situation.
Towns appears to be one of the people who belong in the second category, at least on the surface.
This isn’t wholly unexpected, as Towns is considered to be a relatively mellow star. The only time that he’s spouted venom was in a back-and-forth with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. So, for him to lash out at his charismatic young co-star simply because fans gravitated to him more isn’t really his character.
It doesn’t hurt that Edwards has been vocally supportive of Towns in the media. At multiple points last season, he told reporters that Towns was their best offensive player. When the Timberwolves faced the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, Edwards pointed to Towns as the best defensive matchup for three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
Frankly, it doesn’t matter if people believe what he’s saying. Those moments help them build camaraderie and fortify their relationship.
