A potential all time great for the franchise, Karl-Anthony Towns does a lot more than just get buckets for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The number one pick in the 2015 NBA draft, Karl-Anthony Towns has not only met the expectations of Minneapolis, but bettered them in just two professional seasons.
Capping off the 2016-17 campaign by becoming the only player ever to get 2,000 points alongside 1,000 rebounds and 100 threes, the man out of Kentucky is more than just a trendsetter on the court.
https://twitter.com/timberwolves/status/852332827190468608?lang=en
That’s not to say KAT is perfect. Defensive rotations have been a constant issue, but Towns is very much a fan favourite.
Therefore, here are Dunking with Wolves’ top five facts about the Big Kat that you might not know.
5. He loves to game
Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the biggest gamers in the NBA and he’s not afraid to show it.
Having recently attended the new Call of Duty WWII beta, he not only showcased his admiration for video games (and his contract with Activision) but also his ability at playing them.
Back in June, Towns spoke with The Undefeated and clarified that the best Call of Duty player is in fact teammate Andrew Wiggins.
"It’s funny that you have two great Call of Duty players on the same team, but we found a way in Minnesota to make it happen. I guarantee Andrew [Wiggins] and I can take any duo in the NBA."
Along with this fact, the big man also has a love for old console games too, especially NBA Jam.
His love for NBA Jam carried over to 2K’s NBA games, and he was part of the most recent promotion where the stars of the court reacted to their rating.
When he found out about his rating being better than Joel Embiid here’s what he had to say:
"Really? Ha, I can’t wait to tell Joel [Embiid]. I have nothing to complain about. I do trust the process with that one, I do trust the process."
4. Kit-Kat finally signed him up
It was obvious, wasn’t it?
After posing with pictures of kittens for the past two seasons, Kit-Kat finally saw the potential and knocked on the 21-year-old’s door (or Twitter for that matter) to do business.
.@KitKat_US I made you a spot. I'll take my #Emmy now. #ad #reallygoodad pic.twitter.com/VUQjEuLzmp
— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) May 3, 2017
It made perfect sense, considering Karl-Anthony Towns is KAT for short, so he was finally signed by the company in the summer of 2017 as part of the “Big KAT” promotion.
Towns told Canis Hoopus:
"This partnership has been a match made almost in heaven. You couldn’t have a better legal name than I have."
Filmed in his basement and running late due to needing a fresh trim, he was not wrong in saying the deal was pretty much perfect.
He finished off the day looking through all his fan-mail, a still down-to-earth individual, due to his respect for all his supporters.
“I’m the big KAT,” the 7-footer center proclaimed. “But this is pretty good though.”
I guess after 30 Kit-Kats, you’re going to like them regardless.
3. He had an imaginary friend during his Kentucky freshman year
Even the tallest and most successful people around need an imaginary friend and Karl-Anthony Towns is no different.
During his freshman year at Kentucky, he adopted his compatriot – Karlito – who would make sure he’d grow into the player he is today.
Speaking with ProBasketballTalk.com, Towns stated that:
"[Karlito is the] biggest critic I got. Absolute biggest critic I got. He yells at me for everything.”"
Not only that, but he also has a Twitter account – Karlito Towns – that acts as a very nifty way of promoting particular events Towns partakes in.
Congrats on another Rookie of the Month, @karltowns. Next up...Rookie of the Year! #katcab https://t.co/Apf0lKpkb8 pic.twitter.com/RwQvSh4DNM
— Karlito Towns (@Karlito_Towns) April 6, 2016
They’ll be plenty more Karlito as KAT becomes an even greater asset to Minnesota.
2. He’s the big brother we all want
Not just because of his height and fame, Karl-Anthony Towns has always proven he’d be the perfect big brother.
The main reason? Well…
https://twitter.com/AlyshaTsuji/status/873292338952417281
Jokes aside, Towns has made sure he does his fair share for the community since going pro in 2015.
That same Christmas, Towns launched the aptly named – “My Brother’s Keeper” – which tied in with the idea of mentoring young kids.
He also played a part in a shoe drive where he bought new kicks for those in desperate need of some footwear, something he himself organized:
"[I’m] just finding ways to give back. There’s only so much you can do and I’m trying to make sure I have every channel open to help people."
Towns even went the extra mile whilst crossing over from Kentucky to Minneapolis.
The big man became a volunteer at REED Academy, a program based in New Jersey toward kids with autism. His mom said of his kind acts to Bleacher Report that:
"Karl will never think he’s bigger and better than anyone."
1. He loves sports
Aside from basketball, Towns has always been a keen lover of all things sport.
When a rookie, he took to Target Field to toss the first pitch between the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels.
Towns has always had a love of baseball and was a Little Leaguer in Piscataway despite his obvious build for the NBA.
In fact, it was Piscataway’s Little League’s manager Rob Hollan that nicknamed him Big KAT, which has since stuck with the pro-NBA player.
Holland also referred to Karl as:
"A big teddy bear. He was quiet, laid back, and was a great teammate […] he loved being on the field."
Next: Best and worst case scenarios for Andrew Wiggins
Not only does he hold a fondness for baseball, but he is also pictured above enjoying the tennis at Roland Garros in a Paris-Saint Germain’ soccer kit. A true sportsman.