Karl-Anthony Towns’ Father Disses Jimmy Butler Over Long-Standing Feud: “Karl Bypassed Him”

Karl-Anthony Towns' father took shots at Jimmy Butler after his son lifted a title last season.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ Father Disses Jimmy Butler Over Long-Standing Feud: “Karl Bypassed Him”

Karl-Anthony Towns with his father (Left) and Jimmy Butler (Right) (Image credits - NY Post and Bleacher Report)

The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Karl-Anthony Towns with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He spent nine seasons with the Wolves before getting traded to the New York Knicks two years ago.

During his stint in Minnesota, Towns played alongside Jimmy Butler for a short while, from 2017 to 2018. They reached the playoffs in their first season together before getting eliminated in the first round.

Before the 2018-19 campaign got underway, Butler requested a trade. He accused Towns and the younger players of lacking motivation and being “soft”. Reports said friction between the two stars preceded Butler’s trade to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Towns is coming off a historic championship with the New York Knicks. He played a vital role for them during the playoffs and was heavily praised for his defense on Victor Wembanyama in the NBA Finals.

While Towns’ strained relationship with Butler is well documented, it has become relatively cordial over the past few years. However, his father, Karl-Anthony Towns Sr., seems to still hold a grudge against the Golden State Warriors star.

In the end, it all paid up. Jimmy ain’t got no championship. Karl bypassed him.

Karl-Anthony Towns Sr. on The Athletic

Jimmy Butler is well known for not mincing his words. His criticism of the young Wolves players was directed at Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Just like Towns, Wiggins is an NBA champion as well. However, Butler has yet to win a championship, and Towns Sr. did not hesitate to take shots at the six-time All-Star, saying his son has “bypassed him”.

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Fans react to Karl-Anthony Towns’ father taking shots at Jimmy Butler

Since leaving the Wolves, Butler spent time with the 76ers and the Miami Heat before his move to the Warriors at the trade deadline last year. While he has not won a title, he has reached two NBA Finals with the Heat in 2020 and 2024.

Following Towns’ father’s comments, fans reacted to it across social media.

Towns Sr.’s shots at Butler saw mixed reactions from the fans. While some believe that winning a championship has put Towns ahead of Butler, some pointed out that Towns was not the best player on his team like Butler was when the Heat reached two NBA Finals.

Jordyn Woods fires a message to Karl-Anthony Towns’ haters, including Jimmy Butler

Karl-Anthony Towns may not be the first option on his team, but he was one of the main reasons why the Knicks were crowned champions this year. He has had his share of doubters and critics over the years; however, he silenced them after his performances in the postseason.

Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns (Image credits – ESPN)

The big man has had an eventful offseason. He was seen celebrating with the fans during the championship parade and tied the knot with Jordyn Woods last month.

In a recent interview, Woods was not holding back about how she feels about people who doubted her husband and the Knicks following their title run.

It just proves that you’re in the right place and doing the right thing. It silences a lot of those haters that we were talking about. A lot of these people who didn’t believe now can’t say anything. Now the Jimmy narrative’s very different. But it only took, what, almost a decade?

Jordyn Woods on The Athletic

Towns will forever be cemented in Knicks’ history. While it was their third NBA championship, this one meant a lot more as they lifted it after 53 years.

Looking to defend their title, Towns and the Knicks will open their 2026-27 campaign against LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers on October 20. Meanwhile, Butler will be missing the first few months of the new season as he continues to recover from an ACL tear he suffered early this year.

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