When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded forward Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks on Oct. 2, it marked the end of an era in the Twin Cities.

For nine seasons, Towns had been a fixture with the Timberwolves for every up and down. Minnesota fans had seen him win Rookie of the Year, make four All-Star teams, and transform the Timberwolves into a consistent playoff contender.

To hear Towns tell it on the Roommates Show with Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and forward Josh Hart, when it was time to say goodbye, Minnesota made a point to do it the right way.

"I didn't get called. (Timberwolves president of basketball operations) Tim (Connelly) told me to my face that I was traded," Towns said in Friday's episode of the show. "It was gangster, I ain't gonna lie."

Both Brunson and Hart signaled their respect to Connelly for the gesture.

"The fact that it happened that way, I got to give him respect," Towns said. "It was me, three of my closest friends, and my pops. Shout out to him. He came to a house by himself. ... I gotta give him respect for that for sure."

Basketball can be a brutal business, but the Timberwolves' dignified farewell to Towns shows that relationships can endure across organizations.

More of the Latest Around the NBA


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Karl-Anthony Towns Appreciated Timberwolves Exec's Classy Gesture After Knicks Trade.

Test hyperlink for boilerplate