At nearly 31 years old and fresh off an NBA championship, Karl-Anthony Towns is no longer looking for anyone’s approval when it comes to the way he plays basketball.
The New York Knicks big man opened up about his mindset after putting up 29 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in a road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“When I was younger, I just wanted to establish myself in the league. I wanted to show everyone, as the kids say nowadays, that I could play, that I was nice at this game. I wanted to showcase all the skills I had worked so hard to develop.
I think a lot of young players go through that, and I was no different. You want to prove yourself to everyone. But as you get older, you start to realize that you’re never going to make everybody happy. There’s only one thing that shuts up the critics, the haters and everyone who doubts you: winning. That’s what gives them a tough night and keeps them up at night.
For me, it took time to learn how to win at this level. The NBA is where the best of the best play, and winning here is very different from winning in college, high school or AAU. It takes time, wisdom and experience.
Eventually, you stop trying to prove yourself to everyone and focus instead on bringing the best version of yourself to the court every single day. You realize that by doing that, you’re proving a lot of people wrong. That’s how you do it: by making an impact on winning and having a positive impact on your team. Whether it’s basketball, baseball, football or any other team sport, focus on how you can contribute to winning and you’ll take a lot of pressure off yourself.
You’ll also find yourself becoming the player you’ve always wanted to be.”
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