Karl-Anthony Towns made incredible gesture to Timberwolves writer after Knicks trade

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Karl-Anthony Towns made a wonderful gesture to a young fan on his way out of Minnesota.

Karl-Anthony Towns practically lived his entire adult life in Minnesota. Since being selected by the Timberwolves with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Towns was a franchise pillar with the Wolves through thick and thin. Towns entered the organization during an unthinkable 13-year playoff drought, and starred alongside Jimmy Butler on the team that finally had its postseason breakthrough. After that group split up in explosive fashion, Towns lingered with the franchise during two brutal rebuilding years that ultimately led Minnesota to another No. 1 overall pick, Anthony Edwards.

When the Wolves made their all-in trade for Rudy Gobert, it was Towns who had to adjust by sliding to the four. Finally, the Wolves had built a great team around KAT this past season: Minnesota won 56 games, knocked out the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, and tied its longest postseason run ever by reaching the Western Conference Finals. The Wolves figured to run it back this year as the summer closed, with Towns starting a new four-year, $202 million extension.

Days before training camp opened, he was the centerpiece of one of the most shocking NBA trades in recent memory.

Towns is now a member of the New York Knicks. Minnesota received Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a protected first round pick in return. KAT never requested a trade, but the Timberwolves were motivated to do the deal to lower payroll and get more flexibility in the years ahead.

After nine years of stability, Towns life was thrown into disarray. Somehow, he still made time for a remarkable show of kindness to a local media member on his way out of town.

Jon Krawczynski has covered the Timberwolves for more than two decades. Now a senior writer for The Athletic, Krawczynski had a front row seat for the start of Towns’ NBA career, for all of his personal and professional peaks and valleys. Hours after Towns was notified he had been traded to the New York, he texted Krawczynski to check in with him. KAT knew the reporter’s young daughter was a big fan of his. When Krawczynski said she took the news hard, Towns went out of his way to see her before jumping on a plane to New York.

Krawczynski wrote a spectacular story about KAT going to visit his daughter at her soccer game earlier this week for The Athletic. He shared what happened behind the scenes on a local radio appearance on Wednesday. Listen here:

Towns showed up at halftime of the game, and gracious in talking to the rest of the kids. He then pulled Krawczynski’s daughter aside and had a personal conversation. Hours later, he was going to New York to start his next chapter with the Knicks.

Towns went through immense personal struggles during his time in Minnesota, losing his mother and several other family members to Covid in 2020. He was a four-time All-Star in Minnesota and two-time All-NBA selection, but his reputation suffered because he missed games, committed silly fouls, and was never a defensive enforcer. KAT’s life in Minnesota was rollercoaster in many ways, but it’s clear the organization still meant so much to him.

First, this is his Instagram bio right now:

He also posted this message to the fans:

Showing up at a reporter’s daughter’s youth soccer game is an incredible gesture on his way to Minnesota. Your opinion of KAT may very, but it’s clear Minnesota always meant a lot to him.