MINNEAPOLIS— The trade of four-time NBA All Star Karl-Anthony Towns came as a surprise to many.
“I didn’t see this trade coming,” said Travis Whitehead of Minneapolis.
But some, like Whitehead, said it was a good move.
“Julius Randle has the perfect mentality for Anthony Edwards and (Jaden) McDaniels, they have a full team that is hungry. DiVincenzo is a great pickup, I think this is the sleeper of the whole trade,” Whitehead said.
“He stood by us through thick and thin. His loyalty to us was amazing,” said Dan Herman, founder of Falling Knife Brewing Company.
Whether it’s his KAT t-shirt or his Timberwolves wrestling championship belt, it’s clear that Herman supports his team.
His brewery drew large crowds to watch the Timberwolves during the run to this year’s Western Conference Finals.
“He’s hands down the second greatest Timberwolf of all time,” Herman said.
“He spent a number of years here and you can’t say that often in sports,” said former fan Greg Overpeck. “Kind of sad that we’re losing someone who really wanted to invest in the community.”
Fans said Towns will be remembered for his greatness on and off the court. In May, Towns received the NBA Social Justice Award for his efforts to help restore the voting rights of formerly incarcerated felons.
“The coming and going of players is just part of the game,” Overpeck said. “You realize times are changing, and to build a team you might have to move some different pieces.”
People like Herman said they’re grateful Minnesota had someone like KAT for so long.
“Thank you KAT, thank you for what you did. It turned out to be the best team we ever had,” Herman said.
