NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns had an eventful year, officially being traded to the New York Knicks and being named the 2023-24 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion for his advocacy work, particularly in voting rights in Minnesota. Towns, who is of Dominican and Black heritage, emphasized the importance of giving back and using his platform for positive change. He is partnering with organizations to build a youth basketball facility in the Dominican Republic, his late mother’s homeland. Despite initially dreaming of playing for the New York Yankees, Towns has represented the Dominican Republic in international basketball competitions and is proud to use his platform to uplift the Hispanic community. He was also featured in NBC News’ Hispanic Heritage feature “The Latino 10: A standout year,” which highlighted Americans making a notable impact in 2024. Towns spoke about the significance of his advocacy work off the court and how it would make his mother proud. His experiences in the Dominican Republic have been transformative for him, describing his first visit as magical. Towns’ commitment to social justice and humanitarian efforts, alongside his basketball career, has solidified his status as a role model and advocate for positive change.
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