History of Karl-Anthony Towns in Timeline

Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (KAT) is a Dominican-American professional basketball player currently playing for the New York Knicks in the NBA. Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball at Kentucky. He was the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Towns also represented the Dominican Republic national team at a young age.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1972: Bob McAdoo Rookie of the Year

In 1972, Bob McAdoo of the Buffalo Braves won the NBA Rookie of the Year award as part of back-to-back wins for the team.

1973: Ernie DiGregorio Rookie of the Year

In 1973, Ernie DiGregorio of the Buffalo Braves won the NBA Rookie of the Year award, continuing the team's streak.

April 20, 1994: Shaquille O'Neal's 50/15 Game

On April 20, 1994, Shaquille O'Neal had 50 points and 15 rebounds in a game.

2004: Timberwolves Last Playoff Appearance

In 2004, the Timberwolves had their previous playoff appearance, marking a significant drought before Towns helped them return.

2008: Youngest to 30 Points and 10 Rebounds

In 2008, Kevin Durant was the youngest player to have 30 points and 10 rebounds. On January 29, 2016, Towns replicated the feat.

2009: Transfer to Theodore Schor Middle School

In 2009, Karl-Anthony Towns transferred from Our Lady of Fatima School to Theodore Schor Middle School, where he reclassified and repeated seventh grade for an extra year of development.

2011: FIBA Americas Championship

In 2011, Karl-Anthony Towns played on the Dominican Republic national basketball team, which finished third at the FIBA Americas Championship.

December 2012: Commitment to Kentucky Wildcats

In December 2012, Karl-Anthony Towns announced his commitment to play for the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, reclassifying as a senior.

2012: State Championship and Olympic Qualifying Tournament

In 2012, Karl-Anthony Towns led his high school basketball team to a state championship and participated in the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men with the Dominican Republic national team, which fell short of qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Basketball Tournament.

2012: Debuted for Dominican Republic

Karl-Anthony Towns debuted for the Dominican Republic national team internationally at the 2012 Centrobasket, when he was age 16.

January 6, 2013: First Quadruple-Double

On January 6, 2013, Karl-Anthony Towns recorded his first quadruple-double with 16 points, 17 rebounds, 11 blocks, and 11 assists.

2013: State Championship

In 2013, Karl-Anthony Towns led his high school team to another state championship, marking continued success in his high school career.

January 5, 2014: Second Quadruple-Double

On January 5, 2014, Karl-Anthony Towns achieved his second quadruple-double, recording 20 points, 14 rebounds, 12 blocks, and 10 assists.

December 2014: Andrew Wiggins Rookie of the Month

In December 2014, Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns' teammate, was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month.

2014: Andrew Wiggins Rookie of the Year Award

In 2014, Andrew Wiggins won the NBA Rookie of the Year award, preceding Karl-Anthony Towns' win in the following year.

2014: State Championship

In 2014, Karl-Anthony Towns achieved another milestone by leading his high school team to yet another state championship.

2014: Kentucky Freshman Year

In 2014, Karl-Anthony Towns played his freshman year at Kentucky, averaging 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while studying kinesiology.

2014: Gatorade Player of the Year

In 2014, Karl-Anthony Towns was named the Gatorade Player of the Year, recognizing his outstanding performance in high school basketball.

January 13, 2015: Mo Williams' Timberwolves Record

On January 13, 2015, Mo Williams scored 52 points for the Timberwolves against the Indiana Pacers.

February 2015: Andrew Wiggins Rookie of the Month

In February 2015, Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns' teammate, was again named Western Conference Rookie of the Month.

April 9, 2015: Declaration for the NBA Draft

On April 9, 2015, Karl-Anthony Towns, along with several Kentucky teammates, declared for the 2015 NBA draft, marking a significant step in his basketball career.

June 25, 2015: Drafted #1 Overall by Timberwolves

On June 25, 2015, Karl-Anthony Towns was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, a pivotal moment in his career.

2015: Towns' Timberwolves Season

In 2015, Karl-Anthony Towns played all 82 games for the Timberwolves, averaging 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds, earning unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year honors and other accolades.

2015: ESPN Top Prospect Ranking

In 2015, Karl-Anthony Towns was ranked as the top prospect by ESPN in the recruiting class.

2015: NBA Draft and Timberwolves Selection

In 2015, Karl-Anthony Towns was selected as the first overall pick in the NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, marking a significant milestone in his career.

January 20, 2016: Season-Best Game Against Mavericks

On January 20, 2016, Karl-Anthony Towns had a season-best game with 27 points, 17 rebounds, and six blocks in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

November 30, 2016: Career-High 47 Points

On November 30, 2016, Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a then career-high 47 points and 18 rebounds in a loss to the New York Knicks.

March 8, 2017: Win Over the Clippers

On March 8, 2017, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 29 points and had 14 rebounds in a 107–91 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

April 11, 2017: Loss to Thunder

On April 11, 2017, Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 12 rebounds in a 100–98 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, surpassing Kevin Love for a franchise record.

November 15, 2017: Birthday Game Victory

On November 15, 2017, Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 16 rebounds on his 22nd birthday, helping the Timberwolves end a 12-game losing streak to the San Antonio Spurs.

December 14, 2017: 30 Points, 14 Rebounds, 5 Assists and 5 Blocks

On December 14, 2017, Karl-Anthony Towns posted 30 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and five blocks against the Sacramento Kings, matching a feat previously achieved only by Kevin Garnett among Wolves players.

December 31, 2017: Win Over the Pacers

On December 31, 2017, Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 18 points, 14 rebounds and a career high-tying six blocks in a 107–90 win over the Indiana Pacers.

January 5, 2018: Career-High 23 Rebounds

On January 5, 2018, Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 25 points and a then career-high 23 rebounds in a loss to the Boston Celtics.

January 23, 2018: All-Star Selection

On January 23, 2018, Karl-Anthony Towns was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve.

March 20, 2018: 60th Double-Double

On March 20, 2018, Karl-Anthony Towns recorded his NBA-best 60th double-double with 30 points and 10 rebounds in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

March 28, 2018: Franchise-Record 56 Points

On March 28, 2018, Karl-Anthony Towns scored a franchise-record 56 points and added 15 rebounds in a win over the Atlanta Hawks.

April 11, 2018: Playoff Berth

On April 11, 2018, Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 14 rebounds in an overtime win over the Denver Nuggets, clinching Minnesota a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

September 23, 2018: Signed super-maximum extension with Timberwolves

On September 23, 2018, Karl-Anthony Towns signed a five-year, $158 million super-maximum extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

January 12, 2019: Career-high 27 rebounds

On January 12, 2019, Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 27 points and a career-high 27 rebounds in a 110–106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

October 23, 2019: Strong Performance in Season Opener

On October 23, 2019, in the first game of Minnesota's season, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 36 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, blocked 3 shots, and recorded 3 steals in a 127–126 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

March 2020: Began Dating Jordyn Woods

In March 2020, Karl-Anthony Towns began dating Jordyn Woods.

April 2020: Mother's Death

In April 2020, Karl-Anthony Towns' mother died from complications of COVID-19.

December 27, 2020: Joined NBA Hall-of-Famers in accumulation of points, rebounds and assists

On December 27, 2020, Karl-Anthony Towns joined Hall-of-Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, Elgin Baylor and David Robinson as the only players in NBA history to accumulate over 8,000 points, 4,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in 360 games or less.

January 2021: Contracted COVID-19

In mid-January 2021, Karl-Anthony Towns contracted COVID-19 and missed 13 games.

January 9, 2022: Season-high 40 points against Rockets

On January 9, 2022, Karl-Anthony Towns scored a then season-high 40 points, along with nine rebounds and seven assists, in a 141–123 victory over the Houston Rockets.

July 7, 2022: Signed contract extension

On July 7, 2022, Karl-Anthony Towns signed a four-year, $224 million contract extension.

November 28, 2022: Suffered calf injury

On November 28, 2022, during Minnesota's game against the Washington Wizards, Karl-Anthony Towns exited in the third quarter with a non-contact calf injury and was sidelined indefinitely.

2022: Timberwolves traded for Gobert

In 2022, Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune speculated that Karl-Anthony Towns' lack of rim protection spurred the Timberwolves to trade for 4x DPOY Gobert.

2022: NBA Three-Point Contest Win

In 2022, Karl-Anthony Towns became the first center to win the NBA Three-Point Contest, adding a unique achievement to his career.

January 2023: Revealed Grade 3 Calf Strain

In January 2023, Karl-Anthony Towns revealed he suffered a Grade 3 calf strain, which would take around two months to heal, contrary to initial reports of a Grade 2 strain.

July 2023: Played for Dominican Republic National Team

In July 2023 Karl-Anthony Towns confirmed his presence at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup representing the Dominican Republic national team. He averaged 24.4 points, fifth-most in the tournament, as well as 8 rebounds over five games.

November 18, 2023: Game-Winning Lay-up

On November 18, 2023, Karl-Anthony Towns put up 29 points, along with six rebounds, nine assists, two blocks, and a game-winning lay-up in a 121–120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

January 22, 2024: Career-High 62 Points

On January 22, 2024, Karl-Anthony Towns put up a career-high and Timberwolves franchise-record 62 points, with 44 of those coming in the first half, in a 128–125 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. His 44 points set a record for the most points scored in a half in Timberwolves franchise history.

October 2, 2024: Traded to the New York Knicks

On October 2, 2024, Karl-Anthony Towns was traded to the New York Knicks as part of a three-team trade with the Charlotte Hornets.

2024: Frustration with Defensive Habits

According to The Athletic, in 2024 New York Knicks coaches and players were frustrated by Karl-Anthony Towns' defensive habits throughout the 2024–25 NBA season.

2024: Led Timberwolves to Western Conference Finals

In 2024, Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals, marking their first appearance in 20 years and a significant achievement for the team and his career.

2024: Ranked 7th in NBA

In 2024, Karl-Anthony Towns ranked 7th in the NBA with 1.21 points per direct drive during the 2024-25 season.

2024: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award

In 2024, Karl-Anthony Towns received the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award from the NBA for his social justice work, particularly his work advocating for voting rights and his role as the producer for the short documentary about the justice system, Forgiving Johnny.

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January 25, 2025: Named All-Star Starter

On January 25, 2025, Karl-Anthony Towns was named as an Eastern Conference starter for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.

June 4, 2025: Underwent Treatment

On June 4, 2025, it was announced that Karl-Anthony Towns had undergone treatment for a bruised left knee, and surgery to repair ligament damage in his left finger.