‘Holy s***’: NBA player ripped over ‘tone deaf’ reply to All-Star’s sad personal news

A four-time NBA champion has been ripped over “tone deaf” comments made before an All-Star’s sad personal news was made public.

Draymond Green isn’t showing much remorse for Karl-Anthony Towns’ loss of a friend.

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Green claimed on his podcast that Towns missed Wednesday’s game because he didn’t want to play against Warriors star Jimmy Butler, when the Knicks star was really dealing with the loss of a family friend.

After being informed he was wrong following Golden State’s 121-119 win over the Nets on, the bombastic Warriors star offered up a lackluster explanation — while plugging the podcast on which he shared the falsities.

Karl-Anthony Towns on IG: pic.twitter.com/P3NwR8XETo

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 6, 2025

“Oh, man, That’s unfortunate. I’m sorry to hear that. That sucks,” Green told reporters.

“But my comments that I made, was that ‘what I heard was this. And that’s what I heard.’ So I do send my well wishes to him and his family. We all experience death in one way or another, and we’ll all experience it the same way one day. So it’s unfortunate. You never wish that on anybody. But the Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis must go on.

“I definitely wish them well and wish their family well. You know, we all go through that. And it’s never easy for anyone. But the Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis will go on.”

Towns missed the Knicks’ 114-102 loss against the Warriors for what was listed as “personal reasons.”

KAT: “Been a very tough week…Meant a lot to have my teammates supporting me…Love of my family, my girl’s family…we were all very close with this woman. For me it’s a little tougher…be there for her kids that lost their mother, I know how that is…2 boys losing their mother…” pic.twitter.com/NvqaH9DBm7

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 8, 2025

It was later revealed that Towns and his longtime girlfriend, Jordyn Woods, had lost a close friend, Sarah Holtzman, after her battle with cancer. They attended the funeral Tuesday.

“This is one of those moments where I had to be there for my family and be there for the kids that lost somebody really special to them,” Towns said when he rejoined the team in Los Angeles for their 113-106 overtime loss.

Green, however, had his own ideas in mind on why Towns was missing a faceoff against his former Timberwolves teammate and the newest Warrior, Butler.

“Some would say he didn’t play because Jimmy was in the building,” Green said on his podcast. “I don’t know. … Him and Jimmy had the infamous practice in Minnesota. … I don’t know [if Towns was] hurt. I didn’t look that deep into it to figure out what his injury was.”

Butler’s time in Minnesota with Towns is long remembered for his practice rant toward Towns and the other “soft” starters at the time — which resulted in Butler being traded to Philadelphia.

Green had an opportunity to redeem himself after suggesting that Butler and Towns’ history was the reason for the latter’s absence, but certainly missed the mark.

This article first appeared on The New York Postand was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as ‘Holy s***’: NBA player ripped over ‘tone deaf’ reply to All-Star’s sad personal news