Karl-Anthony Towns Focused on Knicks in Minnesota Return

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns called Minneapolis home for nine years before he was traded just before the start of training camp to the Big Apple.

While Towns, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, built a legacy in Minnesota, he is focused on the here and now for his new team.

“Every game is important,” Towns said when asked about the importance of returning to his former home. “It will be cool to be in the house. … You never know how the fans will respond. For me, my
household, I know what I gave that organization, and I am happy and proud for what I was able
to do.”

A lot of hype has been surrounded this Knicks vs. Wolves matchup ever since the trade was announced back in late September. It’s been given the national TV treatment, appearing as the second game of a doubleheader on TNT’s Thursday night coverage, but this is one game out of 82 for Towns as he focuses on being the best player he can be for the Knicks.

Players “returning home” has been a constant theme for the NBA, especially in the newer era of the league where stars change teams much more frequently. We’ve already seen it earlier this year with Klay Thompson playing against the Golden State Warriors for the first time and Mikal Bridges going against the Brooklyn Nets, but now the time has come for Towns.

He’s anticipating a tribute video shown at the beginning of the game on the jumbotron and he’s open to feeling his emotions before the game, but he’s going into Target Center like he has many times before with the same idea in mind: giving it 100 percent for his team while trying to grab a win.

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