Draymond Green recently offered his condolences to Karl-Anthony Towns following the death of a family friend, marking a moment of empathy amid sports rivalries. Towns was absent from the New York Knicks' game against the Golden State Warriors due to a family emergency. The center rejoined his team in Los Angeles for their subsequent matchup against the Lakers, where he clarified his absence was to support his family during this difficult time.
Green, who was unaware of the circumstances surrounding Towns' absence until after the Warriors' victory over Brooklyn, addressed the situation on his podcast. He initially speculated on Towns not playing against the Warriors, mentioning possible tensions with Jimmy Butler, a former teammate in Minnesota who was seeking a trade at that time.
"Some would say he didn't play because Jimmy was in the building," said Green on his podcast.
During the same podcast episode, Green expressed his regret upon learning the true reason behind Towns' absence.
"That's unfortunate, I'm sorry to hear that. That sucks," he acknowledged.
Towns was officially listed as out for personal reasons when the Warriors defeated the Knicks 114-102 on Tuesday. Green's remarks on his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis," were initially speculative as he relayed what he had heard regarding Towns' absence.
"But my comments that I made were, you know, 'People, what I heard was this.' That's what I heard," Green explained.
Green connected with Towns' family following the game, speaking directly with Towns' father. He praised him and expressed empathy for the situation, reflecting on the shared human experience of loss.
"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 recounted.
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