Before they met again on the Garden court, Karl-Anthony Towns said he and Tom Thibodeau long ago “squashed” their beef.
“Two men grown men got together and had a conversation,” Towns said before Saturday’s preseason game between the Timberwolves and Knicks. “It was done. It was done years ago.”
Towns didn’t want to divulge the details of the talks, but it’s clear an understanding was reached with Thibodeau, who coached the All-Star power forward through three hectic seasons in Minnesota.
“I got no problems with Thibs. We’ve been squashed that,” Towns said. “I still look at Thibs as one of the best Xs and Os coaches I’ve been able to play for. He breathes winning and I got nothing but respect for him.”
It was a different tune not long after Thibodeau was fired by Minnesota in 2019, when Towns ripped his former coach’s player development strategy as “a slap in the face.”
The gist of Towns’s problem was that Thibodeau only focused on developing the basketball player, not the human being.
Perhaps the biggest issue during Thibodeau’s tenure in Minnesota was the toxic animosity between the two stars, Towns and Jimmy Butler.
But the relationship between Towns and Thibodeau seems in a good place.
Thibodeau also praised Towns on Friday.
“Watching the progress he’s made throughout his career, he’s as gifted as they come,” Thibodeau said. “When you look at an offensive player, particularly a big, the skill set that he has, I think we all saw, to win the three-point contest and stuff like that, there’s nothing he can’t do offensively.”
Towns has been a rumored Knicks trade target for years, a scenario boosted by the 27-year-old’s ties to the area (he’s from North Jersey) and the team president Leon Rose (his former agent).
Sources said Thibodeau would welcome coaching Towns again.
Towns didn’t want to discuss the Knicks rumors — “I don’t really have time to think about that” — but it’s clear he enjoys coming back to the area.
At least as a visitor.
“I’m home. So just to be able to be home, see family and friends. Eat food I grew up eating,”he said. “Jersey pizza as well. So it’s an always an exciting to come back here and play at the Garden.”
Asked about the job Rose has done building the Knicks, Towns replied, “They made multiple playoffs. Made some good runs. Brought hope and excitement and to the Garden.
“I don’t think he’s done a bad job.”
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