Karl-Anthony Towns

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Karl-Anthony Towns
No. 32 – Minnesota Timberwolves
PositionPower forward / center
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1995-11-15) November 15, 1995 (age 28)
Edison, New Jersey, U.S.
NationalityAmerican / Dominican
Listed height7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight248 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High schoolSt. Joseph (Metuchen, New Jersey)
CollegeKentucky (2014–2015)
NBA draft2015: 1st round, 1st overall pick
Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Playing career2015–present
Career history
2015–presentMinnesota Timberwolves
Career highlights and awards
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Dominican Republic
Centrobasket
Gold medal – first place 2012 Puerto Rico National Team

Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (born November 15, 1995), also known by the initialed nickname KAT, is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. Towns was named to the Dominican Republic national team as a 16-year-old. He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and went on to be named NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2015–16 season. He has received four All-Star selections, and won the 2021–22 NBA Three-Point Contest.[1]

Early life

Towns was born in Edison, New Jersey[2] to an African-American father, Karl Towns Sr.,[3][4] and a Dominican mother, Jacqueline Cruz.[4][5] He grew up in Piscataway, New Jersey, and attended Lake Nelson Seventh-Day Adventist School, before transferring to Theodore Schor Middle School from Our Lady of Fatima School in 2009.[6] At Theodore Schor, he reclassified and repeated seventh grade in order to gain an extra year of development.[7] Towns's father played basketball for Monmouth University and coached basketball at Piscataway Technical High School, where the precocious Towns practiced with the junior varsity team as a fifth grader.[8]

High school career

Towns dunking in the 2014 McDonald's All-American Boys Game

As a freshman at St. Joseph High School, Towns led the basketball team to a state championship in 2012, earning himself the top position in the ESPN 25 national ranking of high school players.[9] Towns also led his team to state titles in 2013 and 2014.[8] Towns was selected at the age of 16 to play on the Dominican Republic national basketball team, which represents that nation in international competition.[9] Towns was eligible based on the fact that his mother is from the Dominican Republic. During 2011 and 2012 competitions, John Calipari, head coach at the University of Kentucky and a former NBA head coach, coached the team,[9] which finished third in the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship and fourth place at the 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men, falling one position short of qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Basketball Tournament.[citation needed]

In December 2012, Towns announced that he was going to reclassify as a senior and commit to play on the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team under Coach John Calipari. ESPN, which had ranked him as the top prospect in the 2015 recruiting class, listed him as third-ranked in its 2014 class.[10] Towns graduated from high school with a 3.96 GPA on a 4.5 scale.[8] He was named the 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year.[11]

On January 6, 2013, Towns recorded a quadruple-double with 16 points, 17 rebounds, 11 blocks and 11 assists.[12] He recorded a second quadruple-double on January 5, 2014, with 20 points, 14 rebounds, 12 blocks and 10 assists. Towns averaged 20.9 points, 13.4 rebounds and 6.2 blocks per game as a senior.[13]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Karl-Anthony Towns
C
Metuchen, New Jersey St. Joseph 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Dec 4, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 4, 2 (C)   Rivals: 5  ESPN: 9, 1 (NJ), 3 (C)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Kentucky 2014 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  • "2014 Kentucky Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  • "2014 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 4, 2012.

College career

Towns shooting a free throw against the Florida Gators in 2015

In his freshman year, Kentucky used a unique "platoon system" that limited the minutes of each player, and he subsequently averaged 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per game.[14] He studied kinesiology in his one year at Kentucky, and hopes to become a doctor after his basketball career.[15] Though he left Kentucky for the NBA, Towns enrolled in online courses, and hopes to earn his degree.[16] He was named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and NABC, and a third-team All-American by Sporting News.[17][18][19] Throughout the 2014–15 season, Towns was often ranked behind Duke center Jahlil Okafor as a draft prospect. However, due to strong play in the NCAA Tournament, and a growing consensus that Towns was a better defensive player and had an opportunity to become a better offensive player as well, Towns overtook Okafor in most draft rankings.[20]

On April 9, 2015, Towns and fellow Kentucky teammates Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, Dakari Johnson, Devin Booker, Trey Lyles and Willie Cauley-Stein, all declared for the 2015 NBA draft.[21]

Professional career

Minnesota Timberwolves (2015–present)

Rookie of the Year (2015–2016)

On June 25, 2015, Towns was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft.[22] He signed his rookie scale contract with the Timberwolves on July 7,[23] and made his NBA debut in the Timberwolves' season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 28, recording 14 points and 12 rebounds as a starter in a 112–111 win.[24] In the following game on October 30 against the Denver Nuggets, his 28 points and 14 rebounds propelled the Timberwolves to their first 2–0 start with two wins on the road in team history.[25] Over his first 13 games of the season, Towns averaged 16.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Those numbers dropped, however, to 8.4 points and 6.0 rebounds over the next five games.[26] Despite this, on December 3, he was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November, becoming just the seventh Timberwolves player to win NBA Rookie of the Month honors.[27]

On January 20, 2016, Towns had a season-best game with 27 points and career highs of 17 rebounds and six blocks in a 106–94 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.[28] On January 29, he recorded 32 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to the Utah Jazz, becoming the youngest player to have 30 points and 10 rebounds in a game since Kevin Durant did so in 2008.[29] On February 2, he was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January—his third consecutive rookie of the month honor.[30] On February 10, he scored a then career-high 35 points in a 117–112 win over the Toronto Raptors.[31][32] Three days later, he won the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge over point guard Isaiah Thomas, becoming the tallest, heaviest, and youngest winner of the event.[33] On March 3, named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for February, joining teammate Andrew Wiggins (November, December 2014, January, February 2015) as the second player in Wolves history to earn NBA Rookie of the Month honors in four consecutive months.[34]

On March 25, Towns grabbed 10 rebounds against the Washington Wizards, setting a Minnesota rookie rebounding record, pushing his season total to 741 and passing Kevin Love's record of 734.[35] On April 7, he recorded his 50th double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds in a 105–97 win over the Sacramento Kings.[36] Four days later, in a loss to the Houston Rockets, Towns passed Christian Laettner for the franchise's rookie scoring record with 1,475 points.[37] Earlier that day, he was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, April 4 through Sunday, April 10.[38] Towns played and started in all 82 games for the Timberwolves in 2015–16, averaging 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game; he subsequently earned unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year honors.[39] Towns earned Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors in each of the season's six months, becoming the first Timberwolves player to do so. In addition, he became just the fifth unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year, and with teammate Andrew Wiggins winning the award in 2014–15, Minnesota became the first team with back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners since the Buffalo Braves in 1972–73 (Bob McAdoo) and 1973–74 (Ernie DiGregorio), as well as the first team with back-to-back No. 1 draft picks earning Rookie of the Year honors.[40] He also earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.[41]

Improving as a sophomore (2016–2017)

On November 30, 2016, Towns recorded a then career-high 47 points and 18 rebounds in a 106–104 loss to the New York Knicks. At 21 years old, Towns became the third-youngest player in the last three decades to have at least 45 points and 15 rebounds in a game. In addition, his 22 first-quarter points were two off of Chauncey Billups' franchise record of 24.[42] With two blocks against the Charlotte Hornets on December 3, Towns established a new Timberwolves record with his 27th straight game with at least one blocked shot.[43] On December 28, he recorded his first career triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 105–103 loss to the Denver Nuggets.[44] On March 8, 2017, he had 29 points and 14 rebounds in a 107–91 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Towns had his 100th career double-double in the win, becoming the second-youngest player in league history to reach that mark, behind only Dwight Howard.[45] Five days later, he was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, March 6 through Sunday, March 12.[46] On April 11, 2017, he had 26 points and 12 rebounds in a 100–98 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Towns surpassed Kevin Love during the game to set a franchise record for points in a season.[47] Towns made NBA history in 2016–17 by becoming the only player to have at least 2,000 points (2,061), 1,000 rebounds (1,007) and 100 3-pointers (101) in a season.[48]

First All-Star and All-NBA appearances (2017–2018)

On November 15, 2017, Towns had 26 points and 16 rebounds for Minnesota on the night he turned 22, helping the Timberwolves end a 12-game losing streak to the San Antonio Spurs with a 98–86 victory.[49] Towns finished in the top 10 in almost every statistical category in NBA history compiled prior to the player's 22nd birthday. He ranked eighth in points, third in rebounds and second in double-doubles (124), trailing only Dwight Howard (169).[49] Towns subsequently earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors for games played from Monday, November 13 through Sunday, November 19.[50] On December 14, 2017, against the Sacramento Kings, Towns had 30 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and five blocks, joining Kevin Garnett as the only Wolves players to collect 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 5+ blocks in a single game.[51] On December 31, 2017, he had 18 points, 14 rebounds and a career high-tying six blocks in a 107–90 win over the Indiana Pacers.[52] On January 5, 2018, he recorded 25 points and a then career-high 23 rebounds in a 91–84 loss to the Boston Celtics.[53] On January 23, 2018, Towns was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve.[51] On March 20, 2018, he recorded his NBA-best 60th double-double with 30 points and 10 rebounds in a 123–109 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.[54] On March 28, 2018, he scored a franchise-record 56 points and added 15 rebounds for his league-leading 63rd double-double, as the Timberwolves beat the Atlanta Hawks 126–114.[55] The 56 points surpassed Mo Williams' franchise record of 52 points set on January 13, 2015, against the Indiana Pacers.[56] He also became the youngest player (22 years, 133 days) with 50 points and 15 rebounds in a game since Shaquille O'Neal (22 years, 45 days) on April 20, 1994, against the Timberwolves.[57] In the Timberwolves' regular season finale on April 11, 2018, Towns had 26 points and 14 rebounds in a 112–106 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets. The win clinched Minnesota a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2004—no team in the league had gone longer without a postseason appearance than the Timberwolves. It was the first final-day play-in game in the NBA in 21 years, with Denver also vying for a spot in the playoffs.[58] Towns finished the season with 68 double-doubles, the most in the NBA.[58] In Game 3 of the Timberwolves' first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, Towns recorded 18 points and 16 rebounds in a 121–105 win.[59] The Timberwolves went on to lose the series in five games, despite Towns recording 23 points and 14 rebounds in a 122–104 loss in Game 5.[60]

Franchise player (2018–2019)

Towns (left) and Taj Gibson in 2019

On September 23, 2018, Towns signed a five-year, $190 million super-maximum extension with the Timberwolves.[61][62] On November 9, he had a season-high 39 points and 19 rebounds in a 121–110 loss to the Sacramento Kings.[63] On November 12, he had 25 points and a then season-high 21 rebounds in a 120–113 win over the Brooklyn Nets.[64] On December 5, Towns recorded 35 points, 12 rebounds and tied a career high with six blocks in a 121–104 win over the Charlotte Hornets.[65] On January 12, 2019, he recorded 27 points and a career-high 27 rebounds in a 110–106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.[66] On January 30, he scored all 16 of his points after halftime, including a buzzer-beating desperation shot in overtime to lift the Timberwolves over the Memphis Grizzlies 99–97.[67] Towns missed the first game of his career on February 22 against the New York Knicks after being placed in the concussion protocol following a car accident in Minnesota.[68] He had registered 303 consecutive starts, the longest to begin a career since 1970–71.[68] The concussion protocol forced him to miss a second game,[69] with his return on February 25 seeing him record 34 points and 21 rebounds in a 112–105 win over the Kings.[70] On March 5, Towns had 41 points and 14 rebounds in a 131–120 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, thus moving into fifth place on Minnesota's career scoring list, passing Wally Szczerbiak (6,777 points).[71] Towns finished the season with the highest rebounding average of his career to date, at 12.4 rebounds per game.[72]

Injuries and health problems (2019–2021)

On October 23, 2019, in the first game of Minnesota's season, Towns scored 36 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, blocked 3 shots, and recorded 3 steals in a 127–126 win over the Brooklyn Nets.[73] On October 31, Towns was suspended for two games without pay due to an altercation with Joel Embiid during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers.[74] Towns finished the season with the highest scoring average of his career to date, at 26.5 points per game.[75]

On December 27, 2020, Towns joined Hall-of-Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, Elgin Baylor and David Robinson as the only players in NBA history to accumulate over 8,000 points, 4,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in 360 games or less.[76] In mid-January 2021, Towns contracted COVID-19 and missed 13 games. He returned to the court on February 10, recording 18 points and ten rebounds in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.[77] On February 23, Towns had a career-high 11 assists along with 26 points and 8 rebounds in a 139–112 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks.[78] On March 17, Towns scored a season-high 41 points, along with 10 rebounds and 8 assists in a 123–119 victory over the Phoenix Suns. In the same game his teammate Anthony Edwards scored a career-high 42 points and it was just the second time in Timberwolves franchise history that two players scored 40 points in the same game.[79]

Three-Point contest champion (2021–2022)

On January 9, 2022, Towns scored a then season-high 40 points, along with nine rebounds and seven assists, in a 141–123 victory over the Houston Rockets.[80] On February 3, Towns was named a reserve for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.[81] On February 19, Towns won the Mountain Dew NBA Three-Point contest in Cleveland, defeating Luke Kennard and Trae Young in the final round;[1] in doing so, he became the first center to win the contest.[82] On March 5, a 138–101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Towns recorded 36 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and zero turnovers.[83] he became the first player in NBA history to record such a stat line while shooting at least 75 percent from the field in the same game, joined Tim Duncan as the only players to record these numbers in a game since 1980 (the start of the three-point era), with the exception of turnovers.[84] On March 7, Towns was named Western Conference player of the week after leading Minnesota to a perfect 4–0 record.[85] On March 14, Towns recorded a then career-high and then Timberwolves franchise-record 60 points, 32 of which in the third quarter and grabbed 17 rebounds in a 149–139 win over the San Antonio Spurs. He was also efficient in doing so, shooting 19-of-31 from the field, including 7-of-11 from beyond the arc. Towns became the first player in Timberwolves franchise history with multiple 50-plus point, 10-plus rebound games. He also joined Shaquille O'Neal and Wilt Chamberlain as the only centers in NBA history to have a 60-point, 15-rebound outing. Towns entered the fourth quarter with 56 points and 14 boards to join Carmelo Anthony as the only two players in the last 20 seasons with 50 or more points and 10 or more rebounds through three quarters.[86][87][88]

On April 16, in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, Towns logged 29 points and 13 rebounds in a 130–117 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.[89] On April 23, Towns recorded a career playoff-best 33 points and 14 rebounds in a 119–118 Game 4 win.[90] Minnesota would go on to lose to Memphis in six games.[91]

Injury and comeback (2022–present)

On November 28, 2022, during Minnesota's 142–127 loss to the Washington Wizards, Towns exited in the third quarter with a non-contact calf injury. The next day, the Timberwolves announced that he would be sidelined indefinitely with a right calf strain.[92] Although sources reported the injury as a Grade 2 strain and stated that Towns would miss around four-to-six weeks of action, he later stated in January 2023 that he had suffered a Grade 3 strain, which take around two months to heal.[93] On April 9, in the final game of the 2022–23 season, Towns recorded 30 points and 8 rebounds to help lead the Timberwolves to a 113–108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, earning the eight seed in the Western Conference play-in tournament.[94] In the First Round, Timberwolves were eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual NBA champion Nuggets despite a 26-point and 11-rebound performance by Towns in the close-out Game 5 defeat.[95]

On November 18, 2023, Towns put up 29 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field along with six rebounds, nine assists, two blocks, and a game-winning lay-up in a 121–120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.[96] On December 16, Towns scored a season-high 40 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 127–109 win over the Indiana Pacers.[97] On January 22, 2024, Towns put up a career-high and Timberwolves franchise-record 62 points, with 44 of those coming in the first half, in a 128–125 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. His 44 points set a record for the most points scored in a half in Timberwolves franchise history.[98][99] On February 1, he was named to his fourth All-Star Game as an Western Conference reserve.[100] During the 2024 All-Star Game, Towns became the fourth player in NBA history to record 50 or more points in the All-Star Game and the first player to record 30 or more points in one quarter in an All-Star Game, recording a statline of 50 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists in a loss to the East.[101] On March 7, Towns was diagnosed with a torn left meniscus, leaving him out indefinitely.[102]

National team

He has represented the Dominican Republic internationally since 2012. He debuted for his country at the 2012 Centrobasket, when he was age 16.[103]

Personal life

In April 2020, Towns' mother died from complications of COVID-19.[104] Towns has stated that 6 other family members have died after contracting COVID-19.[105] In July 2020, he began dating Jordyn Woods.[106][107] For the one-year anniversary of Towns' mother's death, Woods commissioned her brother, John Woods, Jr., to create a portrait of Towns' mother which was gifted to him.[108]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2015–16 Minnesota 82* 82* 32.0 .542 .341 .811 10.5 2.0 .7 1.7 18.3
2016–17 Minnesota 82* 82* 37.0 .542 .367 .832 12.3 2.7 .7 1.3 25.1
2017–18 Minnesota 82* 82* 35.6 .545 .421 .858 12.3 2.4 .8 1.4 21.3
2018–19 Minnesota 77 77 33.1 .518 .400 .836 12.4 3.4 .9 1.6 24.4
2019–20 Minnesota 35 35 33.9 .508 .412 .796 10.8 4.4 .9 1.2 26.5
2020–21 Minnesota 50 50 33.8 .486 .387 .859 10.6 4.5 .8 1.1 24.8
2021–22 Minnesota 74 74 33.5 .529 .410 .822 9.8 3.6 1.0 1.1 24.6
2022–23 Minnesota 29 29 33.0 .495 .366 .874 8.1 4.8 .7 .6 20.8
Career 511 511 34.1 .526 .395 .835 11.2 3.2 .8 1.3 23.0
All-Star 4 0 17.8 .639 .292 1.000 6.8 1.8 .3 .0 21.8

Play-in

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022 Minnesota 1 1 24.3 .273 .000 .833 5.0 3.0 2.0 .0 11.0
2023 Minnesota 2 2 35.1 .679 .375 1.000 11.0 4.0 .0 3.0 26.0
Career 3 3 31.5 .564 .300 .941 9.0 3.7 .7 2.0 21.0

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018 Minnesota 5 5 33.9 .467 .273 .739 13.4 2.2 .4 1.0 15.2
2022 Minnesota 6 6 36.9 .488 .455 .860 10.8 2.2 .7 2.0 21.8
2023 Minnesota 5 5 36.0 .457 .250 .750 10.2 2.0 .6 .8 18.2
Career 16 16 35.7 .471 .333 .802 11.4 2.1 .6 1.3 18.6

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2014–15 Kentucky 39 39 21.1 .566 .250 .813 6.7 1.1 .5 2.3 10.3

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns wins NBA's 3-point contest". MSN. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  2. ^ Karl Towns of St. Joseph (Met.) is The Star-Ledger boys basketball state Player of the Year, 2013-14, NJ.com, March 30, 2014
  3. ^ Karl-Anthony Towns taken No.1 by Wolves; Tyus Jones acquired in trade with Cavaliers, Star Tribune, June 26, 2015
  4. ^ a b "Towns' parents separable, if only for UK games". courier-journal.com. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  5. ^ Parker, Brandon (July 24, 2012). "Summer school, Karl Towns Jr., 16, improved significantly playing for the Dominican Republic". ESPN. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  6. ^ "Karl-Anthony Towns". njsportsheroes.com. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  7. ^ Pompey, Keith. "A towering hoops talent – and only in eighth grade", The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 29, 2011. Accessed March 10, 2023. "The Piscataway, N.J., native won't turn 16 until Nov. 15. He's a straight A eighth grader at Theodore Schor Middle School. Towns did, however, repeat the seventh grade after transferring from Our Lady of Fatima School two years ago."
  8. ^ a b c Schonbrun, Zach (April 3, 2015). "Two Parts to His Name, but Karl-Anthony Towns Is One Complete Player". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c Parker, Brandon. "Towns Jr. going global; N.J. native, 16, will play for the Dominican Republic during Olympic qualifying", ESPN, June 18, 2012. Accessed December 20, 2012. "But Towns is much more than a charismatic guy with a pair of size 20 shoes. For one, the rising sophomore helped his St. Joseph (Metuchen, N.J.) team to a state title this winter before taking the No. 1 spot in the recently released ESPN 25. Even more impressively, Towns' clout reached international status in May when he was named to the Dominican Republic National Team that will attempt to qualify for the London Olympics in July."
  10. ^ Telep, Dave. "Karl Towns Jr. commits to Kentucky", ESPN, December 4, 2012. Accessed December 20, 2012. "Previously the nation's No. 1 sophomore in the 2015 ESPN 25, the 6-foot-11 Towns also announced he intends to reclassify to the junior class and graduate a year earlier than expected. He slides into the No. 3 ranking in the 2014 ESPN 60."
  11. ^ St. Joseph High School Standout Named Gatorade® New Jersey Boys Basketball Player Of The Year, Gatorade, March 21, 2014. Accessed March 10, 2014. "— In its 29th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Karl Towns Jr. of St. Joseph High School as its 2013-14 Gatorade New Jersey Boys Basketball Player of the Year."
  12. ^ Smith, Cameron (January 17, 2013). "Prep superstar Karl Towns Jr. records quadruple double in win". Yahoo.com. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  13. ^ Schwadron, Abe (July 17, 2014). "KARL TOWNS: THE ANTENNA Q+A". antennamag.com. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  14. ^ Karl-Anthony Towns Sports-Reference, Sports-Reference, June 26, 2015
  15. ^ "Court Review Player to Watch: Karl-Anthony Towns". Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  16. ^ Schonbrun, Zach (June 22, 2015). "Pursuing Perfection From Atop the N.B.A. Draft Class". The New York Times. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  17. ^ Dauster, Rob (March 30, 2015). "The AP released their All-American teams on Monday". NBCSports.com. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  18. ^ "Niang, Hield Earn NABC All-America Honors" (Press release). Big 12 Conference. March 30, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  19. ^ Linton, Chance (March 9, 2015). "Sporting News releases 2014-2015 All-American Team". 247sports.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  20. ^ Karl-Anthony Towns is the NBA's best prospect since LeBron James
  21. ^ "Kentucky breaks record with seven players declaring for NBA Draft". FOX Sports. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  22. ^ "Timberwolves Select Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns with the First Overall Pick in the 2015 NBA Draft". NBA.com. June 25, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  23. ^ "Timberwolves Sign 2015 NBA Draft Picks Karl-Anthony Towns and Tyus Jones". NBA.com. July 7, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  24. ^ "Wolves edge Lakers 112-111 in first game since Flip's death". NBA.com. October 28, 2015. Archived from the original on October 26, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  25. ^ "Towns, Timberwolves beat Nuggets, ready for Flip's memorial". NBA.com. October 30, 2015. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
  26. ^ "Karl-Anthony Towns 2015-16 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  27. ^ "Timberwolves Forward/Center Karl-Anthony Towns Named KIA NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month". NBA.com. December 3, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  28. ^ "Parsons leads Mavericks to 106-94 overtime win over Wolves". NBA.com. January 20, 2016. Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  29. ^ "Hood, Favors lead Jazz over Timberwolves 103-90". NBA.com. January 29, 2016. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  30. ^ "Kristaps Porzingis Named January Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month". NBA.com. February 2, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  31. ^ "Timberwolves come back from 18 down to stun Raptors, 117-112". NBA.com. February 10, 2016. Archived from the original on February 9, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  32. ^ "Karl-Anthony Towns Drops Career-High 35 on Toronto". YouTube.com. February 10, 2016. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  33. ^ "Stepping Up For The Big Men, Towns Wins Skills Challenge". NBA.com. February 13, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  34. ^ "Timberwolves Forward/Center Karl-Anthony Towns Named KIA NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for February". NBA.com. March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  35. ^ "T-Wolves win 132-129 in 2OTs to hurt Wiz playoff hopes". NBA.com. March 25, 2016. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  36. ^ "Timberwolves follow Golden State stunner with win over Kings". NBA.com. April 7, 2016. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  37. ^ "Harden, Howard keep Rockets alive with win over Wolves". NBA.com. April 11, 2016. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  38. ^ "Hawks' Millsap, Wolves' Towns named Players of Week". NBA.com. April 11, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  39. ^ "Karl-Anthony Towns Is The NBA's 2015-2016 Rookie of the Year". YouTube.com. May 16, 2016. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  40. ^ "Minnesota Timberwolves Forward/Center Karl-Anthony Towns Wins 2015-16 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award in Unanimous Vote". NBA.com. May 16, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  41. ^ "Wolves' Towns, Knicks' Porzingis lead 2015-16 NBA All-Rookie teams". NBA.com. May 19, 2016. Archived from the original on May 22, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  42. ^ "Porzingis, Knicks outlast Towns, Wolves 106-104". ESPN.com. November 30, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  43. ^ "Towns, Timberwolves battle back to top Hornets 125-120 in OT". ESPN.com. December 3, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  44. ^ "Nuggets overcome Towns' triple-double to edge Timberwolves". ESPN.com. December 28, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  45. ^ "Towns, Rubio lift Timberwolves to 107-91 win over Clippers". ESPN.com. March 8, 2017. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
  46. ^ "John Wall, Karl-Anthony Towns named Players of the Week". NBA.com. March 13, 2017. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  47. ^ "Oladipo lifts Russ-less Thunder over Wolves, 100-98". ESPN.com. April 11, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  48. ^ "Harden's triple-double helps Rockets over Wolves 123-118". ESPN.com. April 12, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  49. ^ a b "Towns, Wolves stop 12-game slide vs. Spurs with 98-86 win". ESPN.com. November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  50. ^ "KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS NAMED WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK". NBA.com. November 20, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  51. ^ a b "JIMMY BUTLER AND KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS NAMED NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS". NBA.com. January 23, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  52. ^ "Butler scores 26, Timberwolves beat slumping Pacers 107-90". ESPN.com. December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  53. ^ "Marcus Smart scores 18, Boston tops Minnesota 91-84". ESPN.com. January 5, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  54. ^ "Towns, Wiggins lead Timberwolves past Clippers 123-109". ESPN.com. March 20, 2018. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  55. ^ "Towns' franchise-record 56 lead Wolves over Hawks 126-114". ESPN.com. March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  56. ^ "TOWNS SETS FRANCHISE-RECORD WITH 56 POINTS AGAINST HAWKS". NBA.com. March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  57. ^ Ratke, Kyle (March 28, 2018). "TOWNS' HISTORICAL NIGHT LEADS WOLVES OVER HAWKS". NBA.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  58. ^ a b "Butler, Towns lead T-wolves past Nuggets in OT, to playoffs". ESPN.com. April 11, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  59. ^ "Butler, Towns lead T-wolves past Rockets 121-105 in Game 3". ESPN.com. April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  60. ^ "Capela scores 26; Rockets eliminate Wolves with 122-104 win". ESPN.com. April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  61. ^ "TIMBERWOLVES SIGN ALL-NBA CENTER KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS TO MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION". NBA.com. September 23, 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  62. ^ "Reports: Karl-Anthony Towns agrees to sign super-max extension with Minnesota Timberwolves". NBA.com. September 22, 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  63. ^ "Kings come on strong late to beat Timberwolves 121-110". ESPN.com. November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  64. ^ "Towns, Teague lead Wolves over Nets after LeVert injury". ESPN.com. November 12, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  65. ^ "Towns has 35 points, Timberwolves beat Hornets 121-104". ESPN.com. December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  66. ^ "Karl-Anthony Towns' 27 points, 27 boards lift Timberwolves past Pelicans". ESPN.com. January 12, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  67. ^ "Towns hits desperate shot, Wolves beat Grizzlies 99-97 in OT". ESPN.com. January 30, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  68. ^ a b "Wolves overcome Towns' first absence, beat Knicks 115-104". ESPN.com. February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  69. ^ "Middleton, Antetokounmpo lead Bucks past T-Wolves 140-128". ESPN.com. February 23, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  70. ^ "Towns leads T-wolves past Kings 112-105". ESPN.com. February 25, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  71. ^ "Towns scores 41 to derail OKC, George's return". ESPN.com. March 5, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  72. ^ "Karl-Anthony Towns Career Stats".
  73. ^ "Timberwolves vs. Nets - Game Recap - October 23, 2019 - ESPN".
  74. ^ "76ers' Joel Embiid and Timberwolves' Towns each suspended two games". NBA. October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  75. ^ "Karl-Anthony Towns Best Season Points per Game".
  76. ^ "Karl-Anthony Towns dishes 1,000th career assist, joins elite big man company". NBA.com. December 27, 2020.
  77. ^ "Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns back in action for first time since COVID-19 absence". ESPN. February 11, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  78. ^ "Giannis' Big Game Spoils Finch's Wolves Coaching Debut". NBA.com. February 24, 2021.
  79. ^ "Edwards, Towns top 40 points as Wolves eclipse Suns". NBA.com. March 18, 2021.
  80. ^ "Towns' season-high 40 points leads Minnesota over Houston". CBS Sports. January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  81. ^ "2022 NBA All-Star reserves revealed!". NBA. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  82. ^ WIthers, Tom (February 19, 2022). "Towns becomes 1st centre to win 3-point contest". Associated Press/CBC. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  83. ^ "Timberwolves aim for 4-game season sweep of Trail Blazers". Associated Press. Retrieved March 7, 2022 – via Yahoo! Sports.
  84. ^ "Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Feasts in Saturday's win". CBS Sports. March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  85. ^ "Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns named NBA Players of the Week". NBA.com. March 7, 2022.
  86. ^ Mariano, Paolo (March 14, 2022). "Karl-Anthony Towns reaches Shaquille O'Neal territory with 60-point explosion". ClutchPoints. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  87. ^ "Towns scores franchise and career-high 60 to power Wolves". NBA.com. March 15, 2022.
  88. ^ "Centers with 60 or more points and 15 or more rebounds in a regular-season game in nba history". StatMuse. March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  89. ^ "Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns come up big for Timberwolves in Game 1 win over Memphis". The Star Tribune. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  90. ^ "Towns, Wolves shake off struggles to even series vs. Grizzlies, 2-2". NBA.com. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  91. ^ "Grizzlies finish Wolves in Game 6, advance to West semifinals". NBA.com. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  92. ^ "Sources: Karl-Anthony Towns out 4-6 weeks with calf strain". ESPN. November 29, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  93. ^ "As Timberwolves strive to stay afloat, Karl-Anthony Towns speaks up". The Star Tribune. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  94. ^ "Edwards leads Wolves rally past Pelicans, after Gobert punch". ESPN. April 9, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  95. ^ "Nuggets eliminate Wolves 112-109 behind Murray, Jokic". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  96. ^ Guinhawa, Angelo (November 18, 2023). "Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns breaks down epic game-winner vs. Pelicans". ClutchPoints. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  97. ^ "Sources: Towns scores 40 and Edwards has 37 as Timberwolves top short-handed Pacers 127-109". ESPN. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  98. ^ Wohlman, Sheldon (January 22, 2024). "Karl-Anthony Towns' insane first half has never been seen before in Timberwolves history". ClutchPoints. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  99. ^ Guinhawa, Angelo (January 22, 2024). "Timberwolves: LeBron James couldn't believe Karl-Anthony Towns' 58 points in 3 quarters". ClutchPoints. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  100. ^ "2024 NBA All-Star reserves announced". NBA.com. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  101. ^ "KAT puts up 50 points in rare All-Star Game performance". si.com. February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  102. ^ Charania, Shams; Krawczynski, Jon (March 7, 2024). "Karl-Anthony Towns tears meniscus in left knee, out indefinitely, per sources: Who needs to step up?". TheAthletic.com. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  103. ^ "Karl Anthony Towns: It would be great to help the Dominican Republic get to the next level". FIBA.basketball. April 13, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  104. ^ "Mom of T-wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns dies from COVID-19". The Associated Press. April 13, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  105. ^ "Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns says season will be difficult amid off-court tragedies". ESPN. December 4, 2020.
  106. ^ "JORDYN WOODS NOT ENGAGED ... That Ring's No Thing!!!". TMZ. March 26, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  107. ^ Parker, Ashley Joy (April 27, 2021). "Jordyn Woods Wears Black & White Misbhv Outfit While Grabbing Dinner At Catch LA With Pal Jaden Smith — Get The Look". OK! Magazine. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  108. ^ Drysdale, Jennifer (April 11, 2021). "Jordyn Woods Commissions Portrait of Boyfriend Karl-Anthony Towns' Late Mother". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved April 28, 2021.

External links