Karl-Anthony Towns Sr. Calls Out Jimmy Butler After Knicks Title

Karl-Anthony Towns Sr. finally opened up on an old chapter involving his son and Jimmy Butler. The New York Knicks won their first NBA title since 1973 and Karl-Anthony Towns' father had a message for the team that had been criticized for years.

In an interview with The Athletic, Towns Sr. said the negative comments about his son had hurt him as a father. He then pointed to the biggest difference between the two players today, saying, “Jimmy ain't got no championship. Karl bypassed him.” The comments were published September 30, 2026.

Karl-Anthony Towns Sr. Revisits Jimmy Butler's Timberwolves Comments

The story goes back to Butler's time with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Butler joined Minnesota in 2017 and soon became frustrated with the team's young stars, including Towns and Andrew Wiggins. His concerns about the team's effort and toughness became a major part of the conversation around the Timberwolves.

That tension reached a peak during a famous 2018 practice, when Butler played against Minnesota's starters with several reserves and challenged the team's young players. The episode became part of Towns' NBA story, with questions about his toughness following him for years. Towns eventually moved to New York in 2024.

Now, the picture looks very different. Towns helped the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals. New York won Game 5 by 94-90, ending the franchise's 53-year wait for another championship. Towns Sr. saw the title as an answer to years of criticism surrounding his son.

Karl-Anthony Towns' Championship Changes The Story

Towns Sr. also spoke about the emotion of watching his son finally win the championship. He said, “It only hurt me as a father to hear people saying stuff that was negative, that wasn't true, to bring him down.” For him, the title changed how those old conversations felt.

Towns was not the only former Minnesota No. 1 pick to eventually win a championship. Wiggins, who was also part of the criticism during Butler's Minnesota period, won a title with Golden State in 2022. Towns then reached the top with New York in 2026, while Butler remained without a championship.

The comments are less about a new NBA rivalry and more about an old story being discussed again after Towns finally reached the goal that had followed his career for years. The Athletic's report has brought that Minnesota chapter back into focus, but Towns' championship now sits at the center of his story.