John Calipari says he had one message for Karl-Anthony Towns during a rough stretch last season: stop flopping and go for the basket.
The former Kentucky coach shared the advice in an interview with The Post at Summer League in Las Vegas, describing how he watched his old player take criticism and decided to say something.
A quiet pro through the criticism
Towns struggled offensively last season and drew heat in the media. Calipari said the center never once complained to him about it.
"He was a pro through everything," Calipari told The Post. "I would get mad and if I talked to him, he'd be like, 'Hey, it is what it is.'"
Calipari said the criticism made him angry because he felt Towns didn't deserve it.
The tip that stuck
The advice itself had nothing to do with Towns' shooting numbers. It was about how he was drawing contact.
"Karl was taking some heat and I was so mad. He didn't deserve that," Calipari said. "But the only thing I did tell him – 'They're not calling fouls so quit flopping.'"
Calipari pointed to the physical style of play he was seeing in the postseason as proof.
Photo: nypost.com
"If you're going to shoot it, they're going to foul you. And they're not calling it," he said. "I'm watching the Spurs and OKC beat the s–t out of each other (in the Western Conference finals). No calls."
His fix was simple. Attack the rim and finish through the contact instead of looking for the whistle.
"And I said, 'Look man, go for and-ones, and if they don't foul you, at least you'll make the basket. Flopping ain't helping.'"
Why it lands with Knicks fans
The point about foul-baiting is one plenty of New York supporters watched play out during the season. Officials let a lot of contact go, especially deep in the playoffs.
Calipari's message was a practical one for that environment. If the calls aren't coming, a player who keeps flopping ends up with neither the foul nor the basket.
Towns spent his early years under Calipari at Kentucky before his long NBA career, and the two have kept in touch through his ups and downs.
The coach made clear he stayed in Towns' corner even when the outside noise grew loud, and that the flopping tip was the one piece of on-court advice he offered during the championship run.
Source: NYPOST