On November 6, 2015, the Call of Duty franchise duty released Black Ops III, the 12th Call of Duty game and the third installment in the Black Ops series. Games like COD: Ghosts and COD: Infinite Warfare have been released since then, but a fourth Black Ops game was rumored for a while. It's been nearly three years now, but Treyarch and Activision are getting set to release Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 in October of 2018.
Fans around the world are getting hyped for the new game in the Black Ops series, which featured an intriguing storyline following a CIA operative named Alex Mason in the first couple of games as well as a fascinating zombies and online mode. Among the large fanbase are some of the world's most talented and popular athletes, like Minnesota Timberwolves' star center Karl-Anthony Towns.
Towns and his Wolves had an incredible season, capped off by the end of their 13-year playoff drought. Towns, who also became an All-Star for the first time in his career this season, led the way for his Wolves with 21.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. His team suffered a first-round playoff exit, however, so with the extra time he has off, he's not only working on improving his on-court game, but his off-court game as well in the video game department. Towns sat down for an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints during the Call of Duty Community reveal event last week to talk Call of Duty, video games, the Timberwolves, getting in on the shoe game, and much more.
TA: I see some ultra competitive action out there between you De'Aaron [Fox], JuJu [Smith-Schuster], and Todd [Gurley].
KAT: Yeah, we're just bringing some fire to the game and making it more fun. We had a big audience around, so it was pretty fun.
Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) forward Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) trash-talking Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) guard De’Aaron Fox (@swipathefox) for camping in Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) #BlackOps4. pic.twitter.com/IZZdXvWX4Z
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) May 18, 2018
TA: I take it you're a big Call of Duty guy?
KAT: Yeah I am. I've always been a big Call of Duty guy since I was a young kid and now I just get to be a bigger kid playing.
TA: Do you have a favorite mode? You like the campaign? Zombies?
KAT: I've always enjoyed the campaign a lot because I just love the story that goes behind it and all the effort they put into it, but this year with the multiplayer being so great, the zombies, and then that new mode, it's going to be an amazing game.
TA: I know you've been playing a lot of battle royale. What do you think about this new battle royale made?
KAT: It's amazing. Call of Duty does such a great job of giving the gamers what they want and anytime Call of Duty dips their hand in anything, it's gonna come out with superior quality. I know they're going to bring us the best battle Royale type game on the market.
TA: Do you have a favorite game from the franchise? Black Ops I? II? Modern Warfare?
KAT: I've always loved Call of Duty and it's hard to choose because they've all got their own flavors, you know? I think I've always had Modern Warfare 2 as my favorite. But I've always had a bunch of fun with Black Ops, Black Ops II as well. Those are close, close seconds.
TA: Are any of your teammates big gamers?
KAT: Yeah, Andrew Wiggins is a big-time gamer like me. He plays a lot of video games. He plays it all day, probably a little more than me, actually. He loves gaming.
TA: What makes Call of Duty different from other first-person shooters?
KAT: I think it's just so action-packed and fast-paced that it makes the game so exhilarating. Every moment, there's a moment of joy, anxiety, and competition, so it's really cool.
TA: Speaking of competition, it's been a few weeks now since the NBA season ended for you guys. Have you had a chance to reflect on the season?
KAT: I mean, once the season is over, it's over. We did a lot of good things. We did things that we need to work on, other things we did great. Just gotta move on.
TA: How about yourself? You went from struggling team and no playoffs to your first All-Star selection and a postseason appearance. How has that growth been for you?
KAT: It's been cool. I just always knew I had the ability to do it, I just had to be recognized for it. I got recognized for it this year so I'm very humbled that people recognized my craft and the amount of time I put into it. Just taking it day by day.
TA: The playoffs came down to one game for you guys against the Denver Nuggets. What was that atmosphere like, having one game, at home, on the line for a playoff spot?
KAT: It was amazing. It was the most fun game of the year. To be part of a game like that, where the game just means so much, it was so fun, we didn't want it to end in four quarters, so we extended it a little bit.
TA: You guys have the same roster construction coming back next year, more or less. How confident are you in that group? Do you think you guys need another piece?
KAT: We've got a lot of talent, so it's up to us to put it together. We gotta lot of things that we have to get ready and work on this offseason to be the team we need to be next year.
TA: You posted that amazing video with your parents and girlfriend celebrating you being named an All-Star for the first time. What does it mean to have that kind of support group behind you every step of the way?
KAT: It's huge. Playing in the NBA, I think the fans see the glitz and glamour of being on TV playing basketball at it's highest level. They dont see everything that goes into it. It's a lot more. It's a job. Theres a lot of stress, there's a lot of mental capacity being given to the game and you need those people behind you that makes the game fun because it can be very stressful.
TA: So I take it video games also help you get away from the stress of the season as well?
KAT: Yes absolutely, I love playing video games for that exact reason. I get away from work, get a chance to let my mind go loose.
TA: Your Dominican teammate Al Horford are locked into a battle with the Cavs. What are your thoughts on that series? Did you see this coming? Are you at all surprised?
KAT: Al's a tremendous leader and they have a great team over there, no nothing surprises me. They're a great team and they have the ability to do stuff like they're doing right now. Don't doubt LeBron James, though. He came back from down 3-1 in the Finals, and he has the ability to come back on anyone at any given time.
TA: What about LeBron's play? He's putting up 40-5-5 games through the postseason. What are your thoughts on his play and how he's carried his team?
KAT: LeBron's a freak of nature. He has genetics that keep him going like this for longer than a lot of people's career and he's just a workaholic. He does the right things for his body and he keeps it going. He's found a formula for success and he hasn't touched it.
TA: Who is your Rookie of the Year?
KAT: I dont know. I think we've got a lot of rookies of the Year. I think Jayson Tatum has had a lot of success. Ben Simmons has been dominant. Donovan Mitchell has blossomed into a star. There's a lot of guys out there who deserve it. That's more of a committee picking that and stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if there were Co-Rookies of the Year. I wouldn't be surprised if one just wins it over the other. It's just the way it is.
TA: How has your good friend D'Angelo Russell been able to get things on track with the Nets after that rough start with Kobe's retirement year, then the whole phone incident, and the trade?
KAT: He's just a focused individual. Regardless of the situation that happened, he was focused on proving himself and being the best player possible. He works tremendously hard on his craft, and it was just about him being given an opportunity to show all his talents, and I feel that he has that opportunity with Brooklyn.
TA: You're also great friend with former Kentucky teammate Devin Booker. What are your thoughts on his play and his team/ They've got the No. 1 pick, so could there be a little Suns-Wolves rivalry coming soon?
KAT: I mean me and Devin are very competitive with each other. We want to have the bragging rights against each other. Me and him always have friendly squabbles on court, always having little fights between us because we're just so competitive with each other. We love each other to death, but when we're on that court, we want to be able to come off that court and say, ‘I beat you,' or whatever the case may be.
TA: Is there a signature shoe in the making for you?
KAT: No, not yet.
TA: Are you interested in that?
KAT: I would love to have my own signature shoe. I love shoes, I've been drawing shoes and designing shoes since I was young. Obviously with the PE's from Nike. They're all usually hand designed by me, so that's cool. Then, obviously with Kickstradamus and the customs, I always have a big input in making them, the design and everything, and he makes it come to life. I've always had an eye for creativity and for designing. I've always drawn my own shoes and stuff. So if I'm blessed with he opportunity, I would love to have my own signature shoe.
👟 KAT KICKS 👟
A tribute. pic.twitter.com/nFbV8rapVR
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 1, 2018
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