It is not quite Coach Carter and Timo Cruz, but John Calipari still has a very cool relationship with one of his former players.
The Kentucky head coach Calipari shared a funny story about Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns this week. On Monday against the San Antonio Spurs, Towns dropped a career-high 60 points. It was also the highest scoring game in the NBA this season (though Kyrie Irving also hung 60 on the Orlando Magic the very next day).
Following Towns’ volcanic eruption, Calipari revealed that he called up the star big man and had a hilarious exchange with him.
“I have to share a conversation I had [with] @KarlTowns this morning that absolutely made my day,” he tweeted. “I left Karl a voicemail saying, ‘Heard you had 32 points last nite,’ knowing he had 32 IN THE THIRD QUARTER. Immediately, he calls back [and] as soon as I answer, he yells, ‘SIXTY!!!’
“I told him I needed him to sign the game ball and send it to me, so I can put it in my office,” Calipari added. “he said he’s going to send me a TV instead, so I can watch the replay of him winning the three-point contest because I never let him shoot threes. LOL!”
Calipari, who coached Towns at Kentucky for one season back in 2014-15 and made it to the Final Four with him, also said how proud he was of the now 26-year-old.
“What a man he has become!” said Calipari. “So proud of you @karltowns. For what you’ve done…and what you will still do! Karl is one of the special players we’ve had here, who didn’t score like they wanted, but learned how to fight and how to be a great teammate…and I am so proud of them all!”
The three-time All-Star Towns only averaged 10.3 points a game in college, as he was on a stacked team that also had Devin Booker, Trey Lyles, Willie Cauley-Stein, Tyler Ulis, the Harrison twins, and others. Towns often jokes that Calipari held him back, but at least now we are able to witness Towns’ full fire-breathing capabilities at the NBA level. The funny back-and-forths between Towns and Calipari, which have become a sort of tradition during recent times, will never get old either.
Photo: Danny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
