Karl-Anthony Towns Took #1 Pick Status Over Lakers, Says John Calipari

Karl-Anthony Towns was one of the best high school prospects who played under John Calipari at Kentucky.

Karl-Anthony Towns Took #1 Pick Status Over Lakers, Says John Calipari

Karl-Anthony Towns, John Calipari (FS Image)

Much of an NBA player’s career is shaped by where he chooses to play in college. While NBA basketball is undoubtedly at a higher level of play, the atmosphere in college basketball is unmatched. There is real passion shown in the stands and students get really loud to support their college teams unlike pro teams. The tradition of Kentucky basketball was what drew Karl-Anthony Towns to the vaunted program in 2013.

Kentucky had become the premier one-and-done program during the John Calipari era. This program has been the most consistent source of NBA players and currently also has the most players playing. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of them, other than All-Star caliber players like Tyrese Maxey, Devin Booker and KAT. Karl-Anthony Towns had a dominant run in Kentucky on one of the most stacked college teams ever.

They went unbeaten during the 2014-15 NCAA season, losing only to Wisconsin at the Final Four. The team at the time had Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns and other future NBA players like Tyler Ulis, Willie-Cauley Stein and Aaron Harrison. Their record in regular season play and in the SEC Tournament had convinced many fans that they would go home with the trophy, much like Anthony Davis’ Wildcats team.

Despite their shock loss in the Final Four, this team is looked at fondly as one of the most impactful in basketball history. Since Devin Booker, the Wildcats have seen Jamal Murray, Malik Monk, SGA, Tyler Herro and Tyrese Maxey drafted in successive years. All of these players have had really great runs in the NBA.

John Calipari recently added a story to the lore of Towns, who was viewed as the de facto no. 1 pick all through high school and his lone college season, in an interview:

When Karl Towns was getting drafted the Lakers wanted him at 2, I said ‘You may wanna be the 2 pick and be in LA.’ He said ‘Nah I’ll wear a coat. I wanna be the #1 pick.’ And he enjoyed his time in Minnesota

How would the NBA landscape look if Karl-Anthony Towns was a Laker?

Karl-Anthony Towns was an NBA player for three seasons before the summer of 2018. He had evolved into the best shooting 5 man of the NBA in this time. He also had one of the best scoring skillsets of any center in league history. However, he was missing a few elements that could’ve taken him to the next level. His defensive instincts left a lot to be desired, and his toughness was also called into question.

Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns (Getty)

Yet, he could’ve been drafted by the Lakers and been lucky enough to team up with LeBron James irrespective of this. The King had already made his mind up to move to Los Angeles before the 2017-18 season ended. Had Towns been in Los Angeles before him, perhaps James would’ve had more NBA titles in his seven seasons in SoCal. Perhaps he would never have angled for an Anthony Davis trade to LA.

Nevertheless, KAT can hold his head high based on the output of the first 10 seasons of his NBA career. He has been to the Conference Finals for two straight seasons now. Though results don’t always improve in a straight line, the Knicks have reason to be confident in their ability to contend for a few seasons with KAT and Jalen Brunson on the roster.

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