It starts with Karl-Anthony Towns.
That’s what the 21-year-old big man believes. After another third-quarter collapse leading to a loss to Charlotte Tuesday, Towns clearly took the role as alpha dog of the Timberwolves.
“First you gotta look at yourself in the mirror. It starts with me,” Towns said. “I gotta play better, gotta do more than I’m doing. I can’t make excuses. Just gotta go out there, gotta play better.”
It’s strikingly similar to how LeBron James often responds to a loss.
Example 1: LeBron last season after a 5-7 start: “When we lose I take full responsibility and when we win the team wins, that’s what it’s all about.” – New York Post
Example 2: LeBron after a blowout loss to the Spurs in the 2013 Finals: “I’m not putting the blame on anybody, I’m owning everything that I did tonight.” – SI.com
Example 3: LeBron after a loss in the Finals last season: “I’m one of the guys who kinda always want to shoulder the blame and take the blame when we don’t play as well as we should. It’s just who I am and I gotta be better.”
Towns was literally asked only four questions after the loss to Charlotte. The last three he answered the same.
“I just gotta play better. All these losses, they fall on me,” he said when poked about third-quarter meltdowns. “It’s something that I gotta control. That’s something that I gotta be able to help us as much as possible. In the third quarter I’m not doing enough … I’m just not doing enough for us and I gotta do better.”
He used the same response when a reporter asked him if anyone on the team is rushing shots.
“Again, I look at myself in the mirror first. I gotta do more,” he said. “I haven’t done enough and these losses fall on me.”
Clearly, Towns is living up to what he promised the day Kevin Garnett announced his retirement:
“I’ll take it from here.”
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