Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns recalled an essential moment with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in high school that he believes changed the trajectory of his life forever. As a member of the Dominican Republic’s national team in high school, he played against Bryant, James, and Team USA in Las Vegas in preparation for the 2012 Olympics.
“I didn’t have that welcome moment with Kobe because I had already played Kobe in high school when I played against The Dream Team V2 back in high school,” Towns said per The Rich Eisen Show. “It was him, Bron, Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler. I had played against them on the Dominican Republic National Team in Vegas. So I kind of had that moment already, like, wow, I’m on the court with Kobe Bryant.”
Years before the Timberwolves, this moment motivated Towns to work hard as a high-school freshman with what he viewed as a leg-up against the rest of his basketball recruiting class, given he still had three years to make significant strides in his growth as a potential NBA big man. So much so that by the time Karl-Anthony reached the NBA, his humbling welcome to the league moment didn’t happen on the court but somewhat off it.
“I think when I first came to the NBA, I wanted to impact the league and show my worth, earn my spot, earn my respect,” Towns said. “So, I was so focused on that I didn’t really have that welcome to the NBA moment until later in the season when I finally slowed down a little bit, and I’m looking at my jersey in Target Center, and I’m like wow, this really says Wolves, 32 Towns. I was finally understanding that I’m a real NBA player.”
Karl-Anthony Towns says watching Kobe Bryant in person changed his approach
Seeing one of the greatest NBA players in person was surreal for Karl-Anthony Towns. Even in his teenage years, Towns admits it forced him to work harder, do research, and spend a lot of time at his town library.
“It was cool to watch art be done by the artist in person,” Towns said. “To be able to be on the court, having to study what they do, [and] wait for my moment to get it if I did, but it was a surreal moment to be able to be on the court with these legends. And to be able to be on the court with guys that I’ve spent hours and hours studying and, especially, took time out of my day, and made the sacrifice to ride a bike to John F. Kennedy Library in Piscataway, New Jersey. Use the computer access there, get the VHS’rent them, get the book, and just watch their moves, and watch the way they play the game of basketball.”
It’s safe to say the hours of hard work eventually paid off for the four-time All-Star, coming off the Timberwolves’ 4-1 loss against the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals and entering his ninth season in the NBA.
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