Getty Images Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves big man, Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 26.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per contest.
The Wolves currently hold a 19-45 record in the NBA’s Western Conference.
What’s the future?
Back in February, the Golden State Warriors traded D’Angelo Russell to the Timberwolves in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, a protected 2021 first-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick.
In the deal, the Timberwolves also received Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman.
Appearing on the Scoop B Radio Podcast, I discussed Towns with Villanova University and Los Angeles Lakers legend, John Celestand.
For those keeping score at home: Celestand and Towns are both from Piscataway, New Jersey.
1 Dec 1999: Adonal Foyle #31 of the Golden State Warriors blocks the ball from John Celestand #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers defeated the Warriors 93-75. Mandatory Credit: Tom Hauck /Allsport
Check out a snippet from our dialogue below.
John Celestand on Karl Anthony-Towns and the Towns family:
“I knew of his mom and his dad. Karl Towns Sr. was a pretty good basketball player in high school at Piscataway High School and Karl Towns Sr. also coached at Piscataway Tech which is another high school in town. I’ve seen his mom a few times, but I never had a direct conversation with her. I have talked to his father a lot. One of my best friends, his mother used to babysit Karl Towns Jr. when he was a baby and Karl Towns grew up right next door to Kyle Wilson for the New York Jets. So, there were a LOT of athletes that came out of Piscataway and to say I was distraught, like I said I never knew his mom and never had a conversation with her but I saw her around town, I knew who she was and you never want to see that happen to anybody. Especially, when it’s someone you know from your hometown that made everybody so proud. Karl Towns even though he didn’t go to Piscataway High School, he went to St. Joe’s – which is our rival, but he’s from Piscataway. He grew up in Piscataway Rec. We were hearing about him like in the eighth and ninth grade. So you know, it was sad. It really made it hit home that the virus is real and there were a lot of people on our Facebook page, a lot of people from Piscataway that were just heartbroken man, and our hearts go out to him because you just don’t want to see that happen to anybody and it’s just very sad man.”
John Celestand on how Towns played in high school:
“I went and watched Karl Towns Jr. play against my alma mater Piscataway at St. Joe’s High School. I saw him play at the RAC. I want to say it was a County Finals game, I can’t remember who they were playing but I watched him a few times. And I remember thinking when I was watching him, ‘This is too easy for him.’ But he was shooting so many threes that I was kind of…I was like, ‘He’s playing on the perimeter a lot, I wonder if he’s going to be able to do that at the next level…’ or I was questioning his toughness. I mean, he went right to Kentucky and didn’t even miss a beat! So showed you what I knew [laughs]. But at the time in high school it was becoming that. That was the transition of it. And I was just coming back from Europe so I think I wanna say, I was just finishing up my career in Europe and I was like like, ‘Is he an European big man?’ that’s what I’m thinking…but the game was transitioning and I was fighting it. Big guys should be down low. Your back should be to the basket and showed you what I knew, the game changed and he went to Kentucky and you know, he made Piscataway proud. I’ll never forget one of the biggest things that I was proud of – when they were in the Championship Game, I forgot who they played in the NCAA Finals and all I wanted to hear them say was, from Piscataway New Jersey… you know how they always announce their hometown? And I just wanted to hear that because I had never heard that before in a NCAA Final; and that for me, made me so proud just to hear his name from Piscataway, New Jersey when they were introducing him.”