MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns stepped onto the same podium inside the interview room he had towered over for so many seasons, smiling wide at this surreal experience of arriving at Minnesota's arena as a member of the visiting team.
Just a few months ago, a large framed print of him hung on the wall behind the riser along with images of other stars playing at Target Center. Now Anthony Edwards is unquestionably the main attraction in more ways than one.
The moment the plane chartering the New York Knicks landed at the Minneapolis airport on Wednesday was strange, too, with a ride to the team hotel that followed instead of a quick trip home. Towns spent nine formative years with the Timberwolves, after all, and after staying so loyal to a long-languishing franchise he figured he'd be playing for them as long as he was in the NBA.
Speaking to reporters about nine hours before the Knicks and Timberwolves were set to tip off, staging Towns against his close friends, the four-time All-Star was having a hard time getting a handle on all the emotions and the intrigue around a regular-season game that will be anything but ordinary.
“I know it’s going to be a lot, but just appreciate every second, every moment,” Towns said, still unsure before the game what the crowd reception would be like or how much he would focus on the obligatory tribute video played on the scoreboard to acknowledge his first appearance at the arena since the Timberwolves traded him three days before training camp began to the Knicks for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and the future salary cap flexibility that came with the unloading of his contract.
“Usually, I’m the one in the Timberwolves jersey, looking at the tribute videos. But it’s kind of weird being on the other side now,” Towns said.
As attached as he was to the organization and the community, adjusting to the new place was made easier by the fact he was born and raised nearby in New Jersey. Returning to the center position was a smoother transition because he'd just spent the previous two years acclimating to the power forward spot to accommodate the acquisition of Rudy Gobert. With a default position of deference toward his teammates, switching teams midcareer becomes a bit less daunting.
“It also was my goal to amplify this organization and the players, the community, the staff, everybody in the building to make their lives better, amplify everybody so they could reach new heights in their careers and their lives,” Towns said, adding: “Servant leadership is my leadership style. I’m here to serve others. That means I’m leading by example and I’m leading really well.”
By all accounts, the adjustment has gone well. The Knicks arrived in Minnesota in third place in the Eastern Conference, and Towns took an average of 24.8 points per game into Thursday's matchup with the Timberwolves that was his highest in four years. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, who oversaw Towns for two-plus seasons on the bench in Minnesota, had high expectations that clearly have been met, noting the 29-year-old's improvement in passing, screening and overall strength since he last coached him.
“He’s always had great touch. He’s always had really good instincts. But I think being in big games and adapting to different teammates, you learn from your teammates also,” Thibodeau said. "And I think understanding that you have to do it within a team concept, that requires a lot of sacrifice. And I think he’s demonstrated that throughout his career, his willingness to sacrifice and put the team first.”
Both teams have had their share of changes to navigate. Randle replacing Towns at the power forward spot means more shots and time with the ball in his hand, which has created a challenge for Gobert in particular to adjust to. For the Knicks, the departure of Randle and DiVincenzo has created a void of tenacity and toughness that aren't necessarily included in the mix of the strengths Towns brings to a team.
Randle was playfully tight-lipped about the prospect of facing the Knicks, for whom he played five years, when asked about it on Wednesday. DiVincenzo, who got into a shouting match with Knicks assistant Rick Brunson during and after the preseason game in New York between the two teams two months ago, said he'd cleared the air with a former coach he considers family. DiVincenzo has had a slow start offensively to his debut with Minnesota, his fifth team in four years.
“Don’t go into a hole just because things aren’t working well and people have expectations of how the season ended last year individually. It doesn’t just necessarily pick up like that,” DiVincenzo said. "Everybody wants it. I want it. I’m playing with a whole new team, whole new fan base, whole new organization. So just staying with it, just trusting in my work, knowing that I’m putting in the work in every single day and it’ll turn.”
For a couple of hours, Towns, Randle and DiVincenzo can get lost in the action on the court and set aside the emotional aspect of a cutthroat $11 billion business that leaves little time for nostalgia. Timberwolves guard Mike Conley can relate a little to Towns, himself having returned to two places, Memphis and Utah, where he carved out a comfortable identity before having to move on.
“I know we all miss him, and he obviously treats this as home. Fans will be piling in to see him and he’ll have to do a lot of talking, seeing a bunch of familiar faces, brings back a bunch of memories I’m sure,” Conley said. “It’s tough, but you try to keep it at basketball as much as you can. At some point during that game, there’s going to be an emotional attachment to it that’s hard to explain.”
Just like the Timberwolves themselves to Towns.
“Whether it was basketball, off the court, family issues, whatever the case may be, KAT was there for you. He always will be," center Naz Reid said. “That’s why I say he helped shape the guy I am today.”
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