Karl-Anthony Towns facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Karl-Anthony Towns

Towns at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game
No. 32 – New York Knicks
Center
Personal information
Born	(1995-11-15) November 15, 1995 (age 29) Edison, New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality	American / Dominican
High school	St. Joseph (Metuchen, New Jersey)
Listed height	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight	248 lb (112 kg)
Career information
College	Kentucky (2014–2015)
NBA Draft	2015 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Pro career	2015–present
League	NBA
Career history
2015–2024	Minnesota Timberwolves
2024–present	New York Knicks
Career highlights and awards
5× NBA All-Star (2018, 2019, 2022, 2024, 2025) 2× All-NBA Third Team (2018, 2022) NBA Rookie of the Year (2016) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2016) NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2022) Consensus second-team All-American (2015) SEC Freshman of the Year (2015) First-team All-SEC (2015) Gatorade National Player of the Year (2014) McDonald's All-American (2014) First-team Parade All-American (2014)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Dominican Republic Centrobasket Gold 2012 Puerto Rico National Team

Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (born November 15, 1995), often called “KAT”, is a professional basketball player. He plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Towns also played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.

At just 16 years old, Towns was chosen to play for the Dominican Republic national team. In 2015, the Minnesota Timberwolves picked him as the first player overall in the 2015 NBA draft. He was named the Rookie of the Year for the 2015–16 season. Towns is a five-time NBA All-Star and has been named to the All-NBA Team twice. In 2022, he became the first center to win the NBA Three-Point Contest. After nine seasons with the Timberwolves, Towns joined the Knicks before the 2024–25 season.

Early Life and School

Karl-Anthony Towns was born in Edison, New Jersey. His father, Karl Towns Sr., is African-American. His mother, Jacqueline Cruz, is Dominican. He grew up in Piscataway, New Jersey. Towns even repeated seventh grade to get an extra year to develop his skills. His father played basketball for Monmouth University and coached. Young Karl-Anthony practiced with the junior varsity team when he was only in fifth grade.

High School Basketball Star

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

As a freshman at St. Joseph High School, Towns led his basketball team to a state championship in 2012. He was ranked as the top high school player in the country by ESPN. He helped his team win more state titles in 2013 and 2014.

Because his mother is from the Dominican Republic, Towns was able to play for the Dominican Republic national team at age 16. The team was coached by John Calipari, who later became Towns' college coach.

In December 2012, Towns decided to finish high school early and play for the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team. He graduated with a high GPA and was named the 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year. During high school, he twice recorded a "quadruple-double," which means getting double-digit numbers in four different stats (points, rebounds, blocks, and assists) in one game.

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:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
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:

College Career at Kentucky

Towns shooting a free throw against the Florida Gators in 2015

At the University of Kentucky, Towns played for one year. The team used a special "platoon system" where players shared playing time. Towns averaged 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He studied kinesiology, which is the study of body movement. He hopes to become a doctor after his basketball career. Even after leaving for the NBA, he continued taking online classes to earn his degree.

Towns was recognized as a second-team All-American. After a strong performance in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, he became a top prospect for the NBA draft. On April 9, 2015, Towns and several of his Kentucky teammates decided to enter the 2015 NBA draft.

Professional Career

Minnesota Timberwolves (2015–2024)

Rookie of the Year (2015–2016)

On June 25, 2015, the Minnesota Timberwolves chose Karl-Anthony Towns as the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. He played his first NBA game on October 28, scoring 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November, January, February, and March.

On January 20, 2016, Towns had a great game with 27 points, 17 rebounds, and 6 blocks. On February 10, he scored a career-high 35 points. A few days later, he won the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge, becoming the tallest and youngest player to win it.

Towns played and started in all 82 games in his rookie season. He averaged 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He was unanimously named NBA Rookie of the Year. This made the Timberwolves the first team since the 1970s to have back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners.

Becoming a Star (2016–2018)

On November 30, 2016, Towns scored a career-high 47 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. He also set a Timberwolves record with 27 straight games having at least one blocked shot. On December 28, he got his first "triple-double" (double-digits in points, rebounds, and assists) with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

By March 8, 2017, Towns had his 100th career double-double. He became the second-youngest player in NBA history to reach this mark. In the 2016–17 season, Towns made history by being the only player to have at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 100 three-pointers in one season.

On his 22nd birthday, November 15, 2017, Towns helped the Timberwolves beat the San Antonio Spurs. He was among the top 10 players in NBA history for many stats before turning 22. On January 23, 2018, Towns was chosen as an NBA All-Star. On March 28, 2018, he set a new Timberwolves franchise record by scoring 56 points in a game, along with 15 rebounds.

The Timberwolves made the playoffs in 2018 for the first time since 2004. Towns finished the season with 68 double-doubles, the most in the NBA.

Leading the Team (2018–2019)

On September 23, 2018, Towns signed a big contract extension with the Timberwolves. He continued to put up impressive numbers. On January 12, 2019, he had a career-high 27 rebounds, along with 27 points.

Towns missed his first career game on February 22 due to a car accident. Before that, he had started 303 games in a row, which was the longest streak to begin a career since 1970–71. He quickly returned and continued to play well. He finished the season with his highest rebounding average yet, at 12.4 rebounds per game.

Challenges and Comeback (2019–2024)

In October 2019, Towns was suspended for two games after an argument with another player. He finished the season with his highest scoring average, 26.5 points per game.

In December 2020, Towns joined a special group of Hall of Fame players. He became one of only five players in NBA history to reach 8,000 points, 4,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists in 360 games or less. In January 2021, Towns got COVID-19 and missed 13 games. He returned in February.

On January 9, 2022, Towns scored 40 points. On February 3, he was named an All-Star again. On February 19, Towns won the NBA Three-Point Contest, making him the first center to ever win this event. On March 14, Towns set a new Timberwolves franchise record by scoring 60 points in a game, also grabbing 17 rebounds. He became one of only three centers in NBA history to have a 60-point, 15-rebound game.

In November 2022, Towns got a calf injury that kept him out for several months. He returned in April 2023, helping the Timberwolves make the play-in tournament. In November 2023, he hit a game-winning shot against the New Orleans Pelicans. On January 22, 2024, Towns scored a career-high and franchise-record 62 points. He was named an All-Star for the fourth time in February 2024. In March, he was diagnosed with a torn meniscus, which is a knee injury.

Despite injuries, Towns returned for the playoffs. He helped the Timberwolves win their first playoff series in 20 years in 2024. They reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time in two decades.

New York Knicks (2024–present)

On October 2, 2024, Towns was traded to the New York Knicks. On October 29, he scored 44 points and had 13 rebounds in a win. This was the most points by a Knicks center since Patrick Ewing in 1995. On December 19, in his first game back in Minnesota against his old team, Towns scored 32 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December, helping the Knicks to a great record.

National Team

Towns has played for the Dominican Republic national team since 2012. He first played for his country at the 2012 Centrobasket when he was only 16. He later joined them for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where he averaged 24.4 points per game.

Personal Life

In March 2020, Karl-Anthony Towns began dating Jordyn Woods.

In 2024, Towns received the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award from the NBA. This award recognized his work for social justice. He has supported voting rights and helped create a short film about the justice system called Forgiving Johnny.

Towns is a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles football team. Growing up in New Jersey, he was also a fan of the New York Knicks.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Play-in

Playoffs

College

Images for kids

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  Towns (left) and Taj Gibson in 2019

See also

In Spanish: Karl-Anthony Towns para niños

• List of NBA career 3-point field goal percentage leaders
• List of NBA single-game scoring leaders
• List of people from the Dominican Republic