KAT grooming at FT line get catcalls from 2023 FIBA crowd

There is a bit of showmanship in Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star center/power forward Karl-Anthony Towns: A sense of when the camera is on him; when the spotlight is shining its brightest; when the moment is ripe to define himself as hero or heel. For the Minnesota Timberwolves fans who have witnessed KAT’s heroics to win a basketball game as time runs out at Target Center, you already know what I’m talking about.

But for Team Philippines and their hometown crowd, he knows when to milk the moment to be the perfect Heel player as well. So when he stepped up to the free throw line with the score slightly in his team’s favor, 78-76, he had a chance to rile up the hometown crowd in the Philippines. So when the camera panned to his face and he saw his hair in disarray, he paused long enough to try reordering his hairdo.

Unfortunately, the hometown fans in the Philippines did not appreciate that pause to groom himself.

KAT grooming goes viral

Hey, it should be expected that KAT will take time to groom himself when it suits him. And it just so happens that the time that suited him best happened at the free-throw line. So why did the crowd react with so much vitriol?

It’s theatrics, and Team Dominican Republic has one of the best players in the NBA today showing how masterful he can be at working the crowd. After all, Team DR’s opponent was Team Philipines. And that may have given KAT’s opponent a significant advantage. So why not harness that hometown energy to propel his own performance?

Passionate players love to compete in front of passionate fans. Boos from the other team’s fans is nearly as delicious and energizing as cheers from the hometown fans at Target Center. And Karl-Anthony Towns is a very passionate player.