Summary
Overview
NBA champion Carl Anthony Towns joins the podcast for a deeply personal conversation about winning the championship with the New York Knicks, dealing with the loss of his mother and eight family members during COVID, his philosophy on life and basketball, and the importance of staying present. Towns opens up about his relationship with fiancée Jordan Woods, the famous orange bag lucky charm, stepping into his mother's shoes as head of the household, and how treating people right matters more than anything else.
The Championship Journey and Staying Present
Carl reflects on the surreal experience of winning an NBA championship with the New York Knicks and how quickly the moment passes. He discusses the incredible Game 4 comeback from 29 points down, the final play with OG Ananobio's tip-in, and how experience from previous playoff battles prepared the team. Despite always believing a championship was coming, he learned it would arrive on God's timing, not his own.
- Felt extremely confident before Game 4, telling his fiancée he had a really good feeling about the night
- Team was down 29 points but rallied by remembering previous comebacks against Boston
- OG Ananobio made the crucial tip-in to seal the victory
- By Sunday afternoon after winning Saturday night, was already thinking 'what's next?'
- Working out after winning the championship because couldn't just turn off that intensity
" What I do gets more attention than who I am, even though who I am is more important than what I do. "
" Your whole life you see something and you see this goal and you set this goal and you run towards this goal with all your might, all your will, all your strength. And then you finally get to it. And the moment goes by so quick. And next thing you know, you're like, what's next? "
Childhood Lessons and Standing Up to Authority
Towns shares two formative childhood memories that shaped who he became. In seventh grade, he had a difficult conversation with his intimidating father, choosing to continue their training partnership over working with a prestigious trainer. This decision to trust their shared vision led directly to his unique playing style. He also recalls how his mother's calm reaction to accidentally letting a bird escape taught him about forgiveness and not letting material things own your emotions.
- In seventh grade, convinced his father to reject a top trainer and continue their partnership based on their unique vision
- His dad wanted him to have skills so versatile that a coach could never bench him
- Mother's reaction to losing a parakeet taught him forgiveness and letting go
- Grandfather told his mother 'if you ever lost something, it's not meant to be yours anymore'
" No one understands the vision I have for myself more than you. And I think that we've gotten here and been highly successful doing it to the world together. And I don't see why we should stop doing that when you're the one who got me to this place and you're the one that understands and believes in the vision that I have. "
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