STEPH DIDN’T EVEN TURN AROUND — HE JUST EXHALED In the middle of the chaos, when voices rose and tempers snapped, Stephen Curry caught it instantly, that unmistakable, deep baritone cutting through the noise as Karl-Anthony Towns locked into a heated back-and-forth with Draymond Green. Steph didn’t need to look to know who it was; he paused, lowered his shoulders, and let out a slow breath like someone who’s seen this movie too many times. Teammates nearby say his expression shifted from focus to weary amusement, a half-smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as if to say, after all that, here we go again. The argument escalated in front of him, but Curry stayed still, hands on hips, listening more than reacting, the veteran calm of a player who understands when intensity tips from competition into ego. It was a tiny moment—barely a beat—but it spoke volumes: Steph hearing that voice, reading the temperature instantly, and choosing composure over collision, a reminder that sometimes leadership shows up not in words or gestures, but in the decision to stay centered when everyone else is losing theirs.

Karl-Anthony Towns has had a very solid career for a former No. 1 overall pick, winning Rookie of the Year, making three All-Star teams, a pair of All-NBA third teams in his eight seasons in the league thus far.

However, Towns has never been able to get the Timberwolves beyond the first round of the playoffs — where he’s made three appearances — and as the center position sees a renaissance of sorts with Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid winning the last three MVP awards, Towns has faded to the periphery when it comes to discussions about the league’s very best big men. Well, at least that’s the case for most people.

On Wednesday, Patrick Beverley had Towns on his podcast and called him the best center in the league, which is a wild take on its own after Jokic just dominated the playoffs en route to a title, beating Towns along the way — and, secondarily, Towns now plays power forward next to Rudy Gobert, which is a whole other conversation. Later, Towns decided to puff his chest out a bit and proclaimed that when he’s done playing, people will say he “changed the game.”

That quote gained some traction on Twitter, raising plenty of eyebrows, as Towns certainly has a unique skillset as a big man who is incredibly efficient at shooting three-pointers, but few would consider him a game-changer in the way of, say, even a Jokic. Among those to be taken aback by Towns’ comment was Draymond Green, who posited that Towns just meant going on Patrick Beverley’s podcast was changing the game.

Draymond hasn’t shied away from calling Towns out in the past, whether that be when Towns said Russell Westbrook chases stats or when Green said Towns needed to stop trying to trash talk and “just be yourself.” Towns, for all his many talents, has not made such an impact on the league in his eight years that you’d hear many speak of him as someone with a legacy that figures to extend for generations. There’s still time for him to do that, but there needs to be another considerable leap before that happens. Until then, Big Purr will end up on the wrongside of punchlines from Green and others.