With 22 points in the first round and especially 29 in the final, it was therefore Karl-Anthony Towns who won this competition at 3-pts 2022. He was obviously not the favorite since Patty Mills, Luke Kennard or Trae Young are much better specialists than him in this field.
But the interior of Wolves thus marks the history of the competition. He is the first pivot, the second biggest winner by size (behind Dirk Nowitzki, crowned in 2006) without forgetting the record holder for points in the final now. A hell of a night, then, even if he still thinks about this 30-point mark, which he just missed.
“As I said on television, I am very happy”, he says at a press conference. ” It’s awesome. I am very critical of myself, more than anyone. Those who have known me since I’ve been in Minnesota know: I’m my biggest critic. No journalist or blogger is harder on me, on my game, than myself. I’m so pissed that I missed the 30 points. I feel like I could do 31 or 32.”
This competition, the All-Star really wanted it since he has wanted to participate for several years.
“I wanted it enough to get up at 8 a.m. to train”he laughs. “I’ve said it several times, I’m not here to participate, but to win. I’ve always had this: if I can’t give 110% to something, then I’m not going. I’ve been asking the NBA to enter this contest for years. I finally had this opportunity this year and I wanted to take advantage of it. “
“Everyone laughed at me during the Skills Challenge. Everyone said I was going to make a fool of myself and yet I won. This year, the same
Karl-Anthony Towns has often considered himself the best inside shooter in history. This victory is therefore important to prove it and send a message.
“It’s nice on his CV. The interiors had not won for ten years. Who won ten years ago? Minnesota player (Kevin Love in 2012). It’s coming home. I think the league already knew I could shoot 3-pointers. But I’m thinking of kids, those who are inside people who are told to play with their back to the basket and make hooks. I want to be an example, show them that it’s not true. Why does Karl shoot 3-pts? He has no reason to. We are experts, we know better than you. My dad and I didn’t care about any of that. “
“KAT” is now the second player to have entered his name on two All-Star Game honors. Already winner of the Skills Challenge in 2016, he joins Stephen Curry, who also won this competition in 2011 before winning the 3-pts twice, in 2015 and 2021.
Will he aim for the hat-trick by participating in the dunk contest in the years to come?
“No, I am retired. Everyone laughed at me during the Skills Challenge. Everyone said I was going to make a fool of myself and yet I won. This year, the same. My ratings in Las Vegas were insane. My teammates doubted that I could win a shooting contest. For the dunk, I leave that to Anthony Edwards. It’s not my thing. I will not participate in the dunk contest, neither soon nor in the future. But maybe I will defend this title next season…”
| Karl Anthony Towns | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2015-16 | MIN | 82 | 32 | 54.3 | 34.1 | 81.1 | 2.8 | 7.7 | 10.4 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 18.3 |
| 2016-17 | MIN | 82 | 37 | 54.2 | 36.7 | 83.2 | 3.6 | 8.7 | 12.3 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 25.1 |
| 2017-18 | MIN | 82 | 36 | 54.5 | 42.1 | 85.8 | 2.9 | 9.4 | 12.3 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 21.3 |
| 2018-19 | MIN | 77 | 33 | 51.8 | 40.0 | 83.6 | 3.4 | 9.0 | 12.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 24.4 |
| 2019-20 | MIN | 35 | 34 | 50.8 | 41.2 | 79.6 | 2.7 | 8.1 | 10.8 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 26.5 |
| 2020-21 | MIN | 50 | 34 | 48.6 | 38.7 | 85.9 | 2.7 | 7.9 | 10.6 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 24.8 |
| 2021-22 | MIN | 52 | 34 | 52.2 | 40.9 | 81.9 | 2.8 | 6.9 | 9.7 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 24.4 |
| Total | 460 | 34 | 52.7 | 39.6 | 83.3 | 3.0 | 8.4 | 11.4 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 23.1 | |
