Timberwolves news: Kevin Garnett on Jimmy Butler fiasco -- 'It's a s**t storm up there'

Minnesota Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett spoke out about all the drama surrounding the franchise and star Jimmy Butler.

Minnesota Timberwolves icon Kevin Garnett can see the similarities between Jimmy Butler's recent fiery hour of practice and his times with the franchise, where four-lettered curse words and a rampantly maniacal competitive spirit would ooze from him during practice sessions throughout the season.

“You don’t think that I went crazy sometimes? Man, I was a damn Tasmanian devil,” Garnett told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic in a phone interview. “I would say s**t at (Kevin) McHale. I would say s**t at Flip (Saunders). But it was all to motivate all of us. We had a big game against Chicago and I’m just raising the level to what I’m expecting the next day to be like.”

Garnett's fractured relationship with owner Glen Taylor would keep him from having a role with the team, despite having mentored the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Gorgui Dieng in the past.

“I’m a T-Wolf for life, man,” Garnett said. “I’m ‘Sota for life. I’ve always wanted better for not only the city and the franchise, but Wigs, KAT, those are my guys. I root for those guys. Gorgui Dieng. Those are my guys. I’m just hoping they can get through this rough patch and everybody can get on the same patch and figure it out. It’s a s**t storm up there.”

Butler's desire to be traded has escalated out of control, from first making his wishes known four days after the end of the team's postseason run to requesting it even more clearly a week before the start of training camp in a private meeting with the front office. Yet Garnett argues that this is not only Butler's doing, but a lack of organizational control that has allowed so much to leak out.

“What’s really the s**t storm is that can’t nobody keep s**t in practice,” he said. “What goes on in practice should always stay in practice. And what goes on between two conglomerates as businesses should always stay (private). Everything is so god damn public now.”

Media coverage is more competitive than ever now, but even franchises like the San Antonio Spurs have shown a semblance of stability through difficult times, something the Timberwolves have mightily struggled with since Butler's trade request became public in September.