Karl-Anthony Towns didn't bring the Knicks a rivalry with Jimmy Butler

MIAMI (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns has changed his uniform and said his tumultuous past with Jimmy Butler is irrelevant ahead of Wednesday night's game against the Heat.

“I’m a Knick,” Towns repeated three times when asked about Butler. “You bring up Minnesota.

“I am no longer a timber wolf. I’m a kink.”

Butler and Towns were teammates in Minnesota for just over a season, butting heads both during their tenure together and after parting ways in 2019.

The most famous incident reportedly involved Butler tormenting Towns during a practice under coach Tom Thibodeau.

It quickly resulted in Butler being traded to Philadelphia and a rift between Thibodeau and Towns.

The coach and center, now reunited in New York, squashed their opinions in a subsequent conversation: “That was many years ago,” Towns said Wednesday. “We are completely different men. So it’s cool to be at this point in our lives together.”

But there were fewer signs of peace with Butler as the two went head-to-head.

On Wednesday morning, Heat center Bam Adebayo chuckled when reminded that Butler and Towns have history.

But he didn't think Butler brought any extra motivation to the Knicks' game – at least not until something jolted his memory.

“I don’t think he has any desire for matches,” Adebayo said. “I think when they start doing that, it starts. Or he will feel like he sees something and just goes with it.

“He’ll see the body language, something small, and just go with it.”

The history of the 2018 workout is well documented, with the three main characters reunited at the Kaseya Center on Wednesday.

According to former Timberwolves guard Jeff Teague, who recently covered the practice on his podcast, Butler, upset about not receiving a contract extension (while Towns had just been signed to the max), arrived three days in training camp and refused Thibodeau's orders to scrimmage on the team with the regular starters.

Butler instead teamed up with the third linemen, demanding Towns defend and hit the starters.

“Jimmy and KAT don’t like each other. That's another part of the story I'll get to one day. They don’t like each other,” Teague said. “So they jump with the ball. We throw it to KAT, first play. Jimmy steals it. They go to the ground and score. Like, “Come on KAT, get his little ass up, man!” He can't protect you.'

“Jimmy says, 'Get the fuck out of here!' He's trash!' Steal the ball again. They go to the ground and score. Jimmy started talking to the GM and everyone in the gym. “You better pay me! That's who I am!”

Towns shared his version of the scrimmage on a podcast just last year.

“We play, I played. He passed a lot,” Towns told host Paul George. “He had a free throw. And then we had a moment where we argued with each other. He said something. I said something back. I didn't mean to do that. And then Thibs started shaking (from excitement). … And I remember what (Butler) was talking about, he was talking about a preseason game against the Bucks. And I said what I said. I like what I said too. And in the end they won the game. I think they had a chance to get into the game at the last second.”

Butler then left practice and went to an interview with ESPN to request a trade.

He only played ten more games for the Timberwolves and five years later Towns moved to Butler's rivals in New York.

“I’m a kink. That’s all I’m worried about,” Towns said. “My time as a kink.”