Feb 17, 2021; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts to a basket in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Target Center.  Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Karl-Anthony Towns 'shocked' when he heard about Ryan Saunders' firing

If you were surprised by the news that the Timberwolves had fired coach Ryan Saunders, you weren't alone. It turns out even Karl-Anthony Towns was "shocked" when he heard about the firing, as he revealed that he heard about his own coach being canned as he was enjoying some pizza with his old man.

"I learned when y'all found out," Towns said, via The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski. "I was eating pizza with my father and the news came out and we were all shocked."

Of course, anyone who has been following Minnesota the last few years may not be all that shocked that Saunders is no longer the team's coach. Saunders failed to get the Timberwolves to the playoffs the last two seasons and this year, the team had the worst record in the league at 7-24. 

Fortunately for Timberwolves fans, the team's underwhelming performance over the last few years does not have Towns planning an exit strategy. Towns is currently in the second year of his five-year, $158 million deal.

"I'm a very loyal guy to a fault," Towns explained. "I would love to finish my career here in Minnesota. ... I want to build something great here. I want to build a legacy in Minnesota."

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