The Jimmy Butler saga is bizarre in a number of ways. The All-NBA wing clearly wants to be traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves and, while isn’t all that unusual in itself, Butler’s recent performance at a team practice was the stuff of legend and there are all kinds of strange dynamics in play within the franchise.
Some of that centers on the apparent meddling of owner Glen Taylor and, on Tuesday evening, the best player in Wolves history, Kevin Garnett, weighed in on the situation. Garnett, who famously pushed his way to Boston after spending a (very) lengthy portion of his prime in Minnesota, expressed understanding in what Butler is attempting to accomplish and, well, he was very frank about Taylor’s basketball knowledge on Tuesday’s Inside The NBA.
https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/1052342997881409536
Garnett is known for never pulling punches but it is obviously noteworthy to hear a direct expletive in the midst of a TNT broadcast. Still, Garnett’s point is well taken when it comes to the fact that most owners, including Taylor, don’t have the basketball acumen to come in and properly overrule executives on personnel matters, even with all of the scrutiny surrounding Tom Thibodeau’s performance in his front office role.
For full context, Garnett’s extended comments on the situation can be found here, free from NSFW language.
Kevin Garnett weighs in on Jimmy Butler and the Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/vSHlWqqzX0
— TNT Sports U.S. PR (@TNTSportsUS) October 16, 2018
It would be difficult to find an individual more qualified to discuss the inner workings of Minnesota’s franchise than Kevin Garnett, particularly when it comes to dealing with Glen Taylor — who he has not been shy about criticizing over the years. With that as the backdrop, his words (and frankness) speak for themselves.
