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Jimmy Butler once questioned his toughness — now Karl-Anthony Towns is bullying the NBA’s DPOY originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Karl-Anthony Towns is silencing an old narrative with back-to-back double-double performances to put the New York Knicks up 2-0 in the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite being matched up against reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama, Towns has recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds in Game 1 and 21 points and 13 rebounds in Game 2.
With these performances, Towns is nearing his redemption arc after once being called out "soft" by Jimmy Butler.
MORE: Karl-Anthony Towns gets real about Jalen Brunson after 'rough shooting nights'
Karl-Anthony Towns flipping Jimmy Butler's "soft" narrative in 2026
The Knicks star has been playing hard and strong in the 2026 NBA playoffs. But eight years ago, he was the NBA's favorite target of criticism.
In the summer of 2018, Towns and Andrew Wiggins faced the heat from Jimmy Butler, whose trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves in June 2017 resulted in the franchise snapping a 14-year playoff drought. The in-house practice scrimmage reportedly saw Butler winning against Wiggins and Towns with third-stringers on his team. That led the former All-Star to question the work ethic of both these stars.
Unhappy with the organization, Butler got himself traded, landing with the Miami Heat, where he went to the NBA Finals twice but couldn't win it all.
During a 2021 game between the Heat and the Timberwolves, Butler called the Timberwolves star "soft." In reply, Towns also punched back with the "Rachel Nichols" remark. Nichols was actually the one who interviewed Butler for an ESPN exclusive in 2018. The former Heat star trashed Towns and his teammates in that interview.
Eight years later, Towns is letting his game talk, changing the narrative that has long described him.
More NBA news:
- Jalen Brunson fact-checks fellow Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns in NBA Finals presser
- Spurs face impossible NBA Finals task after Knicks seize 2-0 lead
- 'Victor Wembanyama in shock' - Spurs star compared to Nick Anderson's 1995 NBA Finals nightmare
- 10 of 13 analysts agree on one thing about the NBA Finals — and Knicks fans won't like it
- Victor Wembanyama at center of chaos as one professional wrestler fires back over MVP disrespect claim
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