It’s been quite a year for NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns.
This week it became official that Towns, the Minnesota Timberwolves 7-foot center/forward, will be playing for the New York Knicks. And in May, KAT — as he’s known — was named the 2023-24 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion “for his voting rights advocacy as well as his work across the justice and education systems,” the NBA said. Towns’ advocacy helped pass legislation ensuring formerly incarcerated people in Minnesota could exercise their right to vote.
In an interview weeks before the news of his trade to the Knicks, Towns discussed his professional and personal journey, how his Dominican and Black heritage has shaped who he is today and why his advocacy and philanthropic work are so meaningful.
“To live the American dream, you have to be willing to help others with it,” Towns said. “For me to be recognized for what I do off the court is all I’ve ever wanted to do — I think that would make my mother more proud than what I’ve done on the court.”
