Winning the NBA title is the ultimate end goal for most, if not all, players. The confetti shower, the champagne flooding the locker room, and the ability to call yourself an NBA champ are experiences like no other. That feeling is Karl-Anthony Towns determined to achieve it before he ends his career.
With how his career is going, Towns still has a lot in his tank despite being in the league for 10 years. The New York Knicks” big man is just hitting his peak and last season was his best one in the league.
Advertisement
Towns has played for two teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves for the first nine seasons, before he was traded to the Knicks last season.
Now the pressure is on for the KAT. Having had plenty of playoff success, he has given himself a mission to go all the way and reach the NBA finals, hoping to snag the title once and for all.
“I know you want me to find words, but words can’t describe how bad I want to win a ring,” Towns said in an interview with TIME Magazine. “It doesn’t need words.”
Advertisement
His first heartbreak
Towns was a second fiddle on the Timberwolves behind Anthony Edwards. He proved his worth, especially during the Western Conference Semifinals against the Denver Nuggets in 2024. The big man padded the stat sheets with 18.6 points (the second-best in the team), 9.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists during that series.
With Towns’ help, the Timberwolves pushed the then-defending champions to seven games. They capped it with a historic Game 7 comeback that sealed the deal and sent the Nuggets home.
Advertisement
Then, in October 2024, the future he envisioned with Minnesota was shattered when he was traded to the Knicks as part of a three-team deal. He felt heartbroken, describing the trade as his first heartbreak.
“Minnesota was amazing,” Towns said on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “Obviously, it stung. I’ve called that place home for 9 years. I built my life there… It’s kinda like that first breakup. It was tough.”
The Room for Improvement
It seems like Towns will be looking to fulfill his title aspirations with New York indefinitely. As expected, the Knicks instantly felt Towns’ impact, as he averaged 24.4 points on an efficient 52.6% shooting, 12.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
Advertisement
The team finished third in the East with 51 wins and reached the conference finals for the first time in 25 years. The Knicks fought but eventually lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games.
Although Towns’ offensive capabilities are well-known, his defensive habits have been a constant point of criticism, particularly his incorrect coverages and lackluster communication that led to the Knicks’ defense falling apart, according to The Athletic’s report in June.
Eager to win, Towns said he is taking in all the constructive criticism and is hoping to improve his game, especially his defense.
Advertisement
“All criticism is good criticism. It gives me a chance to go back in the lab and then understand what I’ve got to work on,” Towns said.
“Every year I’ve shown the fans and the sports world and NBA world that I’m always continuing to find another level, reinventing myself for the betterment of the team’s success. And I’m going to continue to do that until I have the ring,” he concluded.
A new era is set to start in New York in this coming season under new head coach Mike Brown, known to be a defensive-minded tactician. With the new additions acquired during the offseason, the Knicks are expected to dominate the East again.
Advertisement
And Towns will continue to elevate his game, with his eyes set on fulfilling his ultimate goal–bagging the NBA title.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.