Karl-Anthony Towns reflects on what making NBA Finals means to him appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The 2026 NBA Finals are already living up to the hype before they even started. It’s a rematch of the 1999 Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, beginning on Wednesday in San Antonio. The Spurs are looking to win their first title since 2014, and the Knicks since 1973.

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It’s particularly special for Karl-Anthony Towns, who will be playing in his first Finals ever. In his first Finals press conference, Towns made it clear that this was a full circle for him, per the New York Post Sports.

“It means a lot, because for my career I’ve only been able to see that [NBA] Finals logo on TV,” he said. “So it means a lot to be the person that sees the logo on their jersey and has this opportunity.”

Towns has been in the league for 11 years. He played for the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2015 to 2024. He has played in over 60 postseason games, averaging 19.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Twice he came close to reaching to the NBA Finals.

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Last year, he and the Knicks took the Indiana Pacers to the limit in an epic six game Eastern Conference Finals, in which the Pacers won.

The previous year, Towns and the Timberwolves reached the Conference Finals before losing to the Dallas Mavericks.

Meanwhile, Towns is on a roll during this postseason, averaging 16.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. At the same time, old photos resurfaced of Towns wearing a 1999 Knicks Finals shirt when he first begin playing with New York in 2024.

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