Jimmy Butler Trolled by NBA Fans as Karl-Anthony Towns Wins Title 1st After Viral Timberwolves Rumor
Jimmy Butler once believed Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves couldn't win without him, but it was the big man who got a championship ring first.
Towns and the New York Knicks put the finishing touches on their title with a 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday, and many NBA fans immediately thought of a ringless Butler in the aftermath:
In 2018, then-ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported Butler turned heads during a Timberwolves practice by "boldly challenging teammates, coaches and front-office executives" and yelling to general manager Scott Layden, "You f---ing need me, Scott. You can't win without me."
According to Wojnarowski, "Butler was vociferous and intense throughout the scrimmages" and targeted teammates such as Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
Minnesota traded Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers shortly after that practice, although it also eventually traded Towns to the Knicks ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. As for Wiggins, he ended up winning his own championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2022.
It's safe to say the trade to the Knicks worked out well for Towns, who averaged a double-double of 13.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game during the Finals victory over the Spurs. His defense and overall production in the first two wins in particular were critical and allowed New York to steal those opening contests in San Antonio and set the tone.
He finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds in Game 1 and followed with 21 points and 13 rebounds in Game 2.
It's safe to say Butler probably never envisioned such a performance from his former teammate on the sport's biggest stage.
