Karl-Anthony Towns Lies/Lied About Why Return Took So Long

Karl-Anthony Towns will return to the Minnesota Timberwolves lineup on Wednesday night, after missing nearly four months and over 50 games. It’s been a long and frustrating road back from injury for Towns, the Wolves and this fanbase.

The main source of frustration, throughout this process, has been KAT’s return timeline. It was originally reported that Towns would be out 4-6 weeks with a grade-2 calf strain. Obviously, that ended up being completely inaccurate.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ tells two completely different stories about long absence

Ramona Shelburne spoke with Towns for an article posted at ESPN today. In the piece, KAT says that the reason for for his delayed return was because of “a major setback” that happened during his rehab.

Initially Towns thought he’d be out a couple of months, but he suffered “a major setback” six weeks into the rehabilitation process that essentially sent him back to the beginning of the process.

“The return is imminent, and then boom,” Towns said. “Do a little too much. It just in essence, retore. And now we’re back at square one again.”

Ramona Shelburne – ESPN

But there’s one problem with the story Karl told Ramona. It has completely different “facts” than the return story he’s already told. Back at the end of January, Towns was doing a video game stream and the viewers asked when he’d be back.

KAT then proceeded to go on a rant about how the Timberwolves misled media on his return timeline from the very beginning. That his injury was always a grade-3 calf strain, which carries a 10-12 week return timeline.

“It was never a Grade 2 [strain], it was never going to be a Grade 2, unfortunately. I prayed to God almighty that it was a Grade 2, but I knew it wasn’t. It was a Grade 3.”

“I wish it was four to six weeks. I knew then it wasn’t going to be four to six. The team was trying to say four to six. There was no way with the injury I sustained, it’s a very significant injury. I don’t know if they were trying to give false hope to the fans or what the case may be.”

Karl-Anthony Towns on Twitch (quotes via Star Tribune)

Karl-Anthony Lies

I mean, it’s impossible that both of these stories can be true, right? Either, the injury was a grade-3 calf strain from the beginning, like he said back in January. Or, it was originally a grade-2 strain that turned grade-3, after “a major setback” during rehab. KAT is either lying now or he was lying before. There is not other explanation.

I do not know what Karl is/was thinking when making up lies about his return timeline but it’s just the latest example of why he has such a likability problem. Whether he’s crying to refs or talking about defense while refusing to play any or he’s making up rehab stories, Towns comes off as a complete phony way too often.

And no matter how good of a basketball player he is, that shit rubs fans, media and colleagues the wrong way. I mean, why would you lie about your return timeline, and point a finger at your own organization, just to give your lie away a few months later? Or visa versa? What a loser move.

Return comes at perfect time

No matter how he got here, though, Karl-Anthony Towns’ comeback story couldn’t have started at a more desperate time for the Wolves. Minnesota enters tonight’s game in 9th place in the Western Conference. They are 1.0 games back of the 6-seed, which would put them directly into the playoff field, and just 0.5 games away from missing the postseason altogether (11-seed).

We still do not know if Anthony Edwards will miss his fourth-straight game on Wednesday with his own injury so the fanbase got a much-needed injection of hope when it was announced that KAT would play tonight.

Towns will never be the most popular player in the NBA and that’s nobody’s fault but his own. Still, the Timberwolves need him to be the best version of himself for the rest of the season if they are going to make any type of postseason run.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan