Draymond Green on Suggesting Karl-Anthony Towns Missed Game Over Jimmy Butler: 'That's What I Heard’

He said he was only speaking on what he'd heard.

March 7, 2025

(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Draymond Green says that his comments about Karl-Anthony Towns’ missing a recent game came from “what he heard” after learning that the New York Knicks center didn’t go because of the death of a family friend.

Green previously relayed on his podcast that it was rumored that Towns wasn’t playing in the Knicks’ game against the Golden State Warriors because of Jimmy Butler being on the latter’s team.

"Some would say he didn’t play because Jimmy was in the building," Green said. "I saw KAT’s pops at the game yesterday. I got incredible love for the OG, his pops is an incredible man. But yeah, they say KAT didn’t play because Jimmy came into town ... I don’t know what was hurt. I didn’t look that deep into it to figure out what his injury was or nothing like that.”

The real reason though was because Towns’ family’s close friend, Sarah Holtzman, passed away. Towns posted a picture with the woman holding one of his jerseys from when he played in Minnesota.

Green recently spoke about Towns’ situation and his comments. "That's unfortunate, I'm sorry to hear that. That sucks," Green said. "But my comments that I made were, you know, 'People, what I heard was this.' That's what I heard. So I do send my well wishes to him and his family."

"It's inevitable, we all experience death in one way or another, and we'll all experience it in the same way one day,” he continued. “So it's unfortunate, you never wish that on anybody, but The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis must go on."

Towns spoke about missing the Warriors’ game after a Knicks’ shootaround yesterday (March 6), expressing that he wanted to be there for his family and “the kids that lost somebody really special to them.”

“And the problems that have arisen in my life and stuff, I know that if people were in my shoes, they’d be extremely joyful to have the problems that I have," Towns said. "So just stay focused and it’s made me a better man. And, with my mom, I had utilized that experience when it came to this one because losing a mom is tough.”