Towns earned the award for his work in the field of prison reform. Notably, KAT helped to sponsor House File 28, a piece of bi-partisan legislation that returned the right to vote to mass amounts of incarcerated citizens in Minnesota.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns is the recipient of the NBA’s 2023-24 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award, the league announced on Thursday.
CONGRATULATIONS, KAT pic.twitter.com/htiNnsklvO
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 9, 2024
“As the 2023-24 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion, a $100,000 donation will be made to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities on Towns’ behalf to advance health equity among youth and support the mental wellbeing of Black and Brown communities as part of Towns’ 32 Wellness program,” the team said in a press release issued on Thursday.
Towns is the fourth winner of the award, joining Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (2023), Houston Rockets wing Reggie Bullock (2022) and then-Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony (2021).
The Minnesota Timberwolves have now added four awards since the end of the regular season. Rudy Gobert won his fourth Defensive Player of the Year this week, Naz Reid won Sixth Man of the Year last week, and Mike Conley was not far behind with his second Teammate of the Year award.
The joy in this comes from the fact that the Wolves are winning awards on and off the court. There’s a greatness in play and personality that spreads throughout the entirety of the roster that few other teams can claim. That is something truly unprecedented that is worth being proud of as fans.
These are not just excellent players, but also good people filled with strong moral character.
s/o KAT. winning on the court, changing lives off the court. pic.twitter.com/zXHYb54Y8T
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 9, 2024
Individually, Towns has done a remarkable amount of vital work in the field of prison reform, notably helping to sponsor House File 28, a piece of bi-partisan legislation that returned the right to vote to mass amounts of incarcerated citizens in Minnesota. Additionally, KAT worked with the non-profit organization All Square, which sponsors rehabilitation of people recently released from prison.
“It is a great honor to be named the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion,” Towns said in a press release issued by the team. “I am proud to have played a role in the passing of Minnesota’s Restore the Vote bill and I will always be committed to supporting social justice causes as that is part of my DNA.”
.@Timberwolves’ @KarlTowns is the winner of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award, which is given to an NBA player who inspires positive change in his community.
Towns tells CBS Mornings why he is so passionate about voting rights. pic.twitter.com/6IQNASI5zz
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 9, 2024
Much like Minnesota Lynx great Maya Moore, Towns’ activism in pursuit of restructuring and refocusing the penal system should be lauded.
Beyond this work, Towns has also used his personal investments to support change in the judicial and educational systems. He funded two visual projects this past year: “Forgiving Johnny,” a documentary about legal reform focusing on a public defender and her father’s struggle through gridlock in law, and “Origin,” a film about the necessity to engage with banned materials, especially banned books.
This is an award named after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is arguably not only the greatest activist in the history of basketball, but in the history of sports. Known most for his fight against systemic racism, Abdul-Jabbar is still active in his work to maintain the history oft threatened with erasure. He has created films about the Harlem Globetrotters, Harlem Rens, and other singular figures in basketball history, such as Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, and Nat Clifton.
Towns continues to live up to the standards set almost 40 years ago as an active and praise-worthy proponent of amplifying under-represented voices and protecting those who fall in between the cracks.