Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t just win an NBA championship. He made a promise to an entire country — and that promise now has presidential approval.
Minutes after the New York Knicks clinched their first title in 53 years, the Dominican-born center made it clear where the Larry O’Brien Trophy is headed next: straight to the Dominican Republic. And according to a recent Instagram Reel, the country’s top official is already on board.
A call from the president
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader rang up Towns shortly after the Knicks dismantled the San Antonio Spurs in five games. During the call, Abinader congratulated the big man on a historic run and made sure to mention the woman who helped get him there.
“Your mother has to be very proud of you in Heaven, looking at you,” Abinader said, referencing Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, who passed away in 2020. “As well as all the country, all the Dominicans are very proud of you, of your success.”
Towns, who was born in Edison, New Jersey but carries deep Dominican roots through his late mother, kept the exchange upbeat. “It’s awesome that our country is being shown to the world at the highest standard,” he responded. “Everyone is being able to see how amazing the Dominican Republic really is.”
Already mapped out
This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment idea. Towns had already laid out his trophy tour itinerary during the Game 5 press conference.
“Hell yeah, I’m bringing the trophy over there,” Towns said. “We’re taking it all over. Yessir, I’m gonna bring it to Santiago, Santo Domingo, Casa de Campo, La Romana … We’re gonna have a li’l world tour with it. But it’s great that Dominicans all around the world get to celebrate this moment.”
That clip — posted by SNY Knicks — has since racked up millions of views across social media. For Knicks fans who spent more than half a century waiting, hearing a player talk about an international trophy tour is a surreal flex.
More than a trophy
For Towns, this run was deeply personal. His mother was his biggest supporter, and after the final buzzer, he made sure the world knew it.
“Y’all heard my story, you know my story, and I just want to say: Thank you Momma, I appreciate you getting me one,” he said, his voice catching.
The championship ends one of the longest droughts in NBA history. But for Towns, it also represents a chance to bridge two worlds — and bring a piece of New York history back to the island that raised his mother.
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