NEW YORK — Draymond Green extended his condolences to Karl-Anthony Towns following the passing of a close family friend. However, on Thursday, Green clarified that he was merely repeating information he came across when he mentioned during his podcast that Towns’ absence from the Knicks’ game against Golden State was possibly due to Jimmy Butler’s presence at the venue.
During Tuesday’s match, when the Warriors triumphed over the Knicks with a score of 114-102, Towns was noted as not playing due to personal reasons. In a conversation with Baron Davis on his podcast, Green commented, “some would say he didn’t play because Jimmy was in the building.” This remark alluded to the historic friction between Butler and Towns back when they were teammates at the Minnesota Timberwolves, a time when Butler was looking for a trade.
Green explained on the podcast that he had a conversation with Towns’ father during the game. “His pops is an incredible man but they say KAT didn’t play because Jimmy came into town, and you know him and Jimmy had the infamous practice in Minnesota,” Green added.
Towns reunited with the Knicks in Los Angeles ahead of their face-off with the Lakers on Thursday, where he revealed the reason for his absence was to support his family following the demise of a cherished friend. “This is one of those moments where I had to be there for my family and be there for the kids that lost somebody really special to them,” Towns expressed to reporters.
Green only became aware of the situation after the Warriors narrowly defeated Brooklyn 121-119 on Thursday. “That’s unfortunate, I’m sorry to hear that. That sucks,” he remarked. “But my comments were based on what I heard at the time. That’s what I heard. So I do send my well wishes to him and his family.”
Despite the misunderstanding, Green acknowledged the gravity of Towns’ situation and extended his sympathies to him and his family, while also noting, “So it’s unfortunate, you never wish that on anybody, but the ‘Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis’ must go on.”
