Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. Bio
Karl-Anthony Towns Jr., commonly known by his initials KAT, is a Dominican-American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 7 feet 0 inches tall and playing both center and power forward, Towns has built a reputation as one of the most versatile big men of his era, combining interior scoring, rebounding, and elite three-point shooting. He was selected first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2015 NBA Draft and went on to spend nine seasons with the franchise before being traded to the Knicks in October 2024. In 2026, he helped New York capture its first NBA championship in 53 years.
Early Life and Background
Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. was born on November 15, 1995, in Edison, New Jersey, to an African-American father, Karl Towns Sr., and a Dominican mother, Jacqueline Cruz. He grew up in Piscataway, New Jersey, attending Lake Nelson Seventh-Day Adventist School before transferring to Theodore Schor Middle School in 2009. His father played college basketball at Monmouth University, where he still holds the school record for total rebounds in a season with 319, and later coached at Piscataway Technical High School. That home environment gave Towns an unusually early start in the sport, allowing him to practice with the high school junior varsity team as a young fifth grader.
At Theodore Schor Middle School, Towns reclassified and repeated seventh grade to gain an extra year of athletic development before high school. He eventually attended St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey, where he quickly established himself as one of the top basketball prospects in the country. By his senior year, he was averaging 20.9 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 6.2 blocks per game, and he graduated with a 3.96 GPA on a 4.5 scale.
Path to Professional Basketball
Towns led St. Joseph High School to state championships in 2012, 2013, and 2014, and was named the 2014 Gatorade National Player of the Year, a McDonald’s All-American, and a first-team Parade All-American. As a sophomore in December 2012, he reclassified to the class of 2014, forgoing his final year of high school eligibility, and committed to play for the Kentucky Wildcats under head coach John Calipari. He also represented the Dominican Republic national team beginning in 2012, finishing third at the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship and fourth at the 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men.
During his single season at Kentucky, Towns played within the Wildcats’ platoon system and averaged 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per game while studying kinesiology. He was named a consensus second-team All-American, the SEC Freshman of the Year, and a first-team All-SEC selection. Following the Wildcats’ run in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, Towns declared for the NBA Draft alongside several Kentucky teammates and was selected first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. Career
Early Career (2015–2018)
Towns made his NBA debut on October 28, 2015, recording 14 points and 12 rebounds in a 112–111 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. He went on to start all 82 games of his rookie season, averaging 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, and earned unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2016. He also won the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge, becoming the tallest, heaviest, and youngest winner of the event.
In his second season, Towns became the only player in NBA history to record at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 100 three-pointers in the same year. On January 23, 2018, he was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve for the first time, and on March 28, 2018, he erupted for a franchise-record 56 points with 15 rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks. His late-season play helped Minnesota clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2004.
Minnesota Timberwolves Breakthrough (2018–2024)
On September 23, 2018, Towns signed a five-year, $158 million super-maximum extension with the Timberwolves. That season he set a career high with 27 rebounds against the New Orleans Pelicans on January 12, 2019, before missing games late in the year after a car accident led to a concussion. He returned to post 34 points and 21 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings on February 25, 2019, finishing the year with a career-best 12.4 rebounds per game.
In March 2022, Towns erupted for 60 points and 17 rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs, joining Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain as the only centers in NBA history with a 60-point, 15-rebound outing. On July 7, 2022, he signed a four-year, $224 million contract extension. After missing time with a right calf strain, Towns returned to help Minnesota reach the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, and on January 22, 2024, he set a new Timberwolves franchise record with 62 points against the Charlotte Hornets. He led the Timberwolves to their first playoff series win in 20 years and their first Western Conference Finals appearance in two decades, where they fell to the Dallas Mavericks in five games.
New York Knicks Era (2024–Present)
On October 2, 2024, Towns was traded to the New York Knicks as part of a three-team deal that sent Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, and a future first-round pick to Minnesota. He opened his Knicks tenure with 44 points and 13 rebounds in a 116–107 win over the Miami Heat on October 29, 2024, the most points by a Knicks center since Patrick Ewing in 1995. On December 19, 2024, he posted 32 points and 20 rebounds in his return to Target Center, helping New York to a 133–107 victory, and he was later named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December.
In January 2025, Towns was selected as an Eastern Conference starter for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, his fifth All-Star selection. During the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, he helped the Knicks win their first championship in 53 years, closing out the series 4–1 with a 94–90 victory in Game 5. He set the NBA playoff single-season plus-minus record at +258 during that postseason run, anchoring a team that averaged an NBA playoff-record +14.9 margin of victory.
Driving Style and Strengths
Towns is widely regarded as one of the most skilled shooting big men in NBA history, owning the highest career three-point percentage of any player listed at 7 feet 0 inches or taller. He is a three-level scorer who can punish defenses from the perimeter, in the pick-and-pop game, and on direct drives to the basket, ranking seventh in the NBA with 1.21 points per direct drive during the 2024–25 season. His combination of size, rebounding, and outside shooting has allowed him to play alongside traditional big men such as Rudy Gobert, while also serving as a primary facilitator in New York’s offense.
Notable Events and Milestones
Towns has authored several milestone performances, including 60 points against the San Antonio Spurs in 2022 and a franchise-record 62 points against the Charlotte Hornets in 2024. On February 19, 2022, he became the first center to win the NBA Three-Point Contest, defeating Luke Kennard and Trae Young in the final round in Cleveland. On November 3, 2025, he became the sixth player in NBA history to reach 15,000 points, 7,000 rebounds, and 2,000 assists before turning 30, joining a list that includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Garnett, and Nikola Jokić.
Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. Career Wins
Across his NBA career, Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. has accumulated a long list of individual accolades and team achievements, including an NBA championship with the New York Knicks in 2026, the 2025 NBA Cup, six All-Star selections, three All-NBA Third Team honors, and the 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year award. He is also the 2022 NBA Three-Point Contest champion and a 2024 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award recipient.
NBA Highlights
Towns played and started all 82 games of his 2015–16 rookie season, earning unanimous Rookie of the Year honors and a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He has been named an NBA All-Star in 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024, 2025, and 2026, and earned All-NBA Third Team honors in 2018, 2022, and 2025. In December 2025, he helped the Knicks capture the NBA Cup with a victory over the San Antonio Spurs, and in June 2026 he helped New York close out the Spurs in five games to win the NBA Finals.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the NBA, Towns represented the Dominican Republic at the 2012 Centrobasket at age 16 and returned to the national team for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where he averaged 24.4 points and 8 rebounds over five games. He has also produced a short documentary, Forgiving Johnny, focused on the justice system, and received the 2024 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award for his work advocating for voting rights.
Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Towns’s father, Karl Towns Sr., played college basketball at Monmouth University, where he still holds the school’s single-season rebounding record with 319 boards. He later coached basketball at Piscataway Technical High School, where the young Towns practiced with the junior varsity team as a fifth grader. His mother, Jacqueline Cruz, is Dominican, a heritage that allowed Towns to represent the Dominican Republic in international competition beginning at age 16.
Personal Life
Towns began dating socialite Jordyn Woods in March 2020. The following month, his mother died from complications of COVID-19, a tragedy Towns has said was followed by the loss of six other family members to the virus. On December 25, 2025, Towns and Woods announced their engagement. Towns grew up in New Jersey as a New York Knicks fan and remains a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles.
2025 Season Performance
Towns’s 2024–25 campaign with the New York Knicks marked a strong first season in New York, highlighted by an Eastern Conference Player of the Month award for December 2024 and a starting nod at the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. He opened the year with multiple 40-point outings, including 44 points against the Miami Heat and 46 points against the Chicago Bulls, while averaging a double-double for the season. He also recorded his first triple-double as a Knick on March 25, 2025, finishing with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists against the Dallas Mavericks.
In the 2025 playoffs, Towns posted a playoff career-high 35 points in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers and later scored 20 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter of a Game 3 comeback win. The Knicks ultimately fell to the Pacers in six games, but Towns’s individual production remained a positive signal for the franchise heading into the next season.
During the early 2025–26 season, Towns continued his high-level play, recording 33 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists against the Washington Wizards on November 3, 2025, becoming the sixth player in NBA history to reach 15,000 points, 7,000 rebounds, and 2,000 assists before turning 30. On December 16, 2025, he helped the Knicks capture the NBA Cup with a win over the San Antonio Spurs, earning a selection to the All-Tournament Team. He capped the year with a 40-point, 13-rebound performance against his former Timberwolves team on December 23, 2025, and was named an Eastern Conference reserve for the 2026 All-Star Game on February 1, 2026.
