WASHINGTON — KARL-ANTHONY Towns had an event to attend at the French Embassy last week, a screening of a documentary about the life of Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Rudy Gobert. He preplanned his look: an all-black ensemble complete with a signature bucket hat for the occasion.
“I’d already packed for the trip before the game!” Towns explained to his agent, who could only smile and shake her head, as he got ready in a hotel suite a couple of blocks from the White House.
In stark white lettering, the hat featured his nickname — “KAT” — and the number “60” on it. The Wolves made the hats nearly two years ago to commemorate Towns scoring a then-franchise-record 60 points against the San Antonio Spurs.
At 7 feet tall with nearly 1,000 made 3-pointers in his career, Towns has a combination of size and skill that makes him one of the most prized players in the modern game. But he also has a goofy streak — see his live streams playing video games — that can be either endearing or annoying depending on your perspective.
In 2021, he drew quite a reaction when he declared himself the “greatest big-man shooter of all time.” Two months later, he won the 3-point contest at All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, the first big man to do so. This can be seen as a shining example of backing up your words or an odd distinction for a player with a less-than-impressive playoff résumé.
When understanding the situation Towns and the Wolves are in now, it’s helpful to keep two facts in mind.
First, the franchise has advanced past the first round of the playoffs once in its 34-year history. That happened 21 seasons ago, the same spring LeBron James won the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 2004.
Second, the Timberwolves have had seven All-Stars total in team history — only three players have made more than one All-Star Game. Towns, who has also made two All-NBA teams, is one of them.
Towns is having an excellent season, with his scoring, rebounding and shooting all up from last season as he manages a vital role for the Timberwolves. He’s a big reason the team is in an exciting and mildly bewildering position.
The Timberwolves have been at the top of the Western Conference standings all season, thanks to a dominating defensive mindset and the combined star power from Towns, Gobert and Anthony Edwards. They also have the distinction, with their ability to use a huge lineup, of being one of the few teams that has been a thorn in the side of the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
But the Wolves are dealing with a sobering reality: A franchise that has never had real championship expectations is suddenly dealing with a new world of scrutiny and pressure. And Towns represents the epitome of a team trying to harness its talent and turn it into meaningful winning.
Take Monday night, for example. It was a mundane-looking game when the schedule was released last August, but now the Wolves’ visit to the Oklahoma City Thunder is for the top spot in the West. It comes after a 2-2 week brought Towns and his team an unexpected portion of drama.
Which is why the “KAT 60” hat was ironic. The night before, he put up a mesmerizing and record-smashing 44 points in the first half against the Charlotte Hornets in Minneapolis.
Already 7-for-7 on 3-pointers, Towns launched a near-30-footer for his eighth in a row as Hornets play-by-play announcer Eric Collins screamed “Noooooooooo!” as he watched it go through the net, an instant viral moment.
But less than two hours later, Wolves coach Chris Finch sat at a microphone in a quiet rage. Towns had topped his own franchise record, scoring 62 points, but there probably won’t be any “KAT 62” hats in…
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