ORLANDO — NBA seasons are like dog years.
And nine with the same team is rare, especially in Adam Silver’s era of player empowerment/movement.
To put it in local perspective, the last Knick to play nine seasons with the franchise was Allan Houston — roughly 20 years ago — and he missed 94 of his last 164 games.
It translated to a run of 16 years and counting as a Knicks executive for Houston, a position with excellent job security, having survived several regime changes.
Karl-Anthony Towns returns Thursday to the Target Center in a similar context.
He was drafted first overall by the Timberwolves in 2015 and sits No. 2 on the franchise’s all-time list of points, rebounds and blocks.
Until Anthony Edwards alters the order, the list of greatest Timberwolves starts No. 1 Kevin Garnett and No. 2 Towns, without much debate.
Despite this history, Towns said he’s unsure how Thursday’s crowd will react to his return.
He also pᴀssionately defended his commitment to the franchise that traded him in October.
“I don’t know (how they will embrace me). But I know that every single day that I put on that Timberwolves jersey I gave the absolute best of me even when I wasn’t 100 percent,” Towns said after his latest double-double with the Knicks, a victory Sunday over the Magic. “I gave them all of me mentally, physically, spiritually. I was there nine years, so I go there with a lot of pride and joy for the memories that I have.”
Towns then referenced his final moment with the organization in May, when the T-Wolves were eliminated in the conference finals and he emotionally blew kisses to the crowd.
On the eve of training camp, the 29-year-old was traded for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
“I know the last time I was there, I looked myself in the mirror and I knew I gave the state, the city, the organization over there everything I could possibly give and even found myself giving more than I thought I had,” said Towns, who returned for the playoffs last season from a torn meniscus. “So I was proud of the man that I presented over there in a Timberwolves jersey. You never know how the fans will respond. But I know for me, my household, I know what I gave that organization, and I am happy and proud for what I was able to do.”
Towns’ stint was polarizing — there was a lot of losing packed into nine years — but there’s little doubt Minnesotans will give him a standing ovation with a video tribute.
His departure was about dumping payroll to avoid salary cap hell, not about his play or atтιтude.
He was also part of the organization’s only playoff appearances since 2004 and signed two extensions.
The better question is how Towns’ game will respond to the extra layers of distractions.
“We’ve got a win to get so I better handle it accordingly, for sure,” Towns said. “Like I said, I don’t know, I can’t imagine myself even in a situation like this but here we are.”
Underscoring Towns’ surprise about being traded, he had slimmed down in the offseason with the belief he’d again play power forward next to Rudy Gobert.
