A controversial statement was shared by John Salley, a former NBA player who won championships with Detroit, Chicago and LA.
Salley had the distinction of winning NBA Championships in three different decades (80s, 90s, 2000s) when he was part of the Bad Boys of Detroit Pistons. He bounced around the league but he joined the then record-breaking (record shattered this season) 96 Chicago Bulls, partially to keep tabs on former teammate Dennis Rodman. Salley retired after winning the title that year.
He got out of retirement, played overseas and found his way to the LA Lakers (with the Phil Jackson connection) and was part of the Lakers three-peat from 2000-2002.
Quite a storied career but he's getting flak from Minnesota Timberwolves fans when he went on an ESPN radio show with some unsolicited advice to the last two Rookie of the Year Awardees. Salley mentioned on Mike and Mike that Towns and Wiggins should leave Minnesota.
His statements transcribed by the Star Tribune did not sit well with the fans of the T-Wolves.
"I think he(Towns) could be the future ... I think he needs to get out of Minnesota. He and Wiggins need to get out of Minnesota."
Host Mike Greenberg apparently rode along with what he said and even asked why the NBA even has a team in Minnesota.
As Star Tribune writer Michael Rand described, "Salley took the bait, saying he agreed with Greenberg before launching into the oh-so-clever discussion of how cold it is here and how we have to walk through "tubes" in the winter. Salley added that Towns' presence in Minnesota won't make NBA fans go out and buy Wolves jerseys."
So where should Towns and Wiggins go? "I think he needs to be in a place that literally gets more TV time, and the NBA is more focused on. Those are the teams on the coast," Salley said.
Even when Greenberg pointed out that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are in Oklahoma, Salley still argued that "we both know that Westbrook and Durant will not be in OKC," if the Thunder fail to win a title.
Rand is perplexed that Salley would be the one to say this since he won two titles with Detroit-which is not on the coast and is not one of the biggest markets (Chicago is, even if they're not on the coast).
This also runs contrary to how the NBA is slowly breaking away from the geographic limitations some of its teams have. Thanks to the internet, players can become popular regardless of their team's location.