Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns soaks it all in as he returns to Minnesota for the first time
Karl-Anthony Towns of the Knicks reacts after a three-point basket during the second quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 11. Credit: Jim McIsaac
MINNEAPOLIS — It seems like a simple question. Where did you grow up?
But for Karl-Anthony Towns, that’s a difficult ask, especially on this day as he walked into the Target Center on Thursday morning.
It’s easy to say he grew up in New Jersey and that the trade that brought him to the Knicks just ahead of training camp this season was a homecoming. Returning to Minnesota for the first time since the trade, though, brought back emotions, feelings that he imagined but didn’t really understand until he pulled on his wool hat and made his way from the home he still has here to the arena as snow piled up in the streets.
This was where he grew up, where he spent nine years after arriving at 19 years old, where he became a star, where he matured, where he became one of the greatest players in franchise history and where he lost friends and family, the community helping him through the nightmares.
“I just wanted to be my best with whatever NBA jersey I put on, but I especially wanted to be my best here in a Timberwolves jersey,” Towns said. “This place has given my family so much, not even from a financial aspect but from a life aspect of the experiences we were able to have because of the organization and the things we were able to accomplish here. Those are things that you can never discredit, you can never lose love for. I continue to see Minnesota as a home for me.”
What never came up in the nearly 15-minute-long interview session after the Knicks' morning shootaround were his numbers — the 24.8 points per game or the league-leading 13.9 rebounds for the Knicks this season or the previous accomplishments on the court for the Timberwolves as he played a role in the franchise's resurgence.
For Towns, being back here was all about feelings.
“Wild, wild experience. Lot of years of great memories here, and it’s always a warm feeling I get stepping in Target Center,” he said, adding of what he expected at night: “I know it’s going to be a lot. Just appreciate every second, every moment, and appreciate being back here . . .
“I’ve never been traded. I’m usually the one in the Timberwolves jersey looking at the tribute videos. It’s kind of weird being on the other side now. I just want to appreciate every second, every moment, and it’s going to be great to see my brothers on the floor tonight.”
“I think it’s going to be a lot of love,” said Mikal Bridges, who had his own homecoming in Phoenix earlier this season. “He’s done way more than what I’ve done with Phoenix, being the No. 1 pick and everything. So I think it’s going to be a lot of love for him and how much he’s shown effort and how much he’s done for the city.
“I think once you’re there, you see the city, you come back and you know the roads and all the little things. It’s definitely different when you get here. The snow welcomed him very well. He’s probably used to that, so definitely reminded me of Minnesota. So once you’re here, it’s a little different, but it’s cool.”
Towns arrived in New York humbly, accepting a secondary role behind Jalen Brunson, always referring to him as “Cap,” and working to fit in and, as he often says, amplify his teammates. It’s no different from what he did in Minnesota, first mentored by Kevin Garnett and then stepping aside to serve as a mentor and take a sidekick role to Anthony Edwards.
It wasn’t only those biggest stars, though, who raised emotions, who had him approaching the game with a different mindset than Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, whom the Knicks sent to Minnesota in the trade. If those two were seeking payback, Towns was thinking of all the handshakes and hellos to the familiar faces.
“I’ve been through a lot, especially in a T-wolves jersey,” he said. “You learn to appreciate moments, especially these moments that don’t come around very often. I’m in a place in life where I don’t look at a glass half-empty. I look at as half-full. And I’m just appreciative of this opportunity to be back in a place I called home and I have so many great memories at, able to play here against guys I actually played with. It’s a really cool experience.
"I just want to be appreciative of this moment, enjoy this moment with my family, my teammates, my friends and my brothers on the other side.”
Notes & quotes: Josh Hart missed a a game for the first time this season (personal reasons).
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
