Karl-Anthony Towns spoke on Club Shay Shay about who he considered to be the greatest power forwards in NBA history. Towns immediately named Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan. For the final two spots, Towns struggled to name players, before landing on Karl Malone and Charles Barkley to round out the list.
“Top 5? Dirk, KG, Tim Duncan… Is Giannis going to be counted as a four? I thought he would be counted as a three… I’ll say Karl Malone. There’s going to be someone left off…”
“Nah, like I said I ain’t putting myself, I’ll let people do that. I was thinking, in the beginning, it was Chris Bosh, but Charles Barkley was so special. He was so good. People gotta take the time and watch Charles Barkley’s highlights… That man was a beast.”
Karl-Anthony Towns put out a great list when talking about the top 5 power forwards of all time. One could make the argument that players like Chris Bosh, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or Patrick Ewing could be put in that conversation, but by no means is Towns’ list filled with undeserving players.
All five players are credited with dominating the NBA at one point or another. Whether they attained championship success or not, each of the players on this list won the NBA’s MVP award multiple times, with Tim Duncan and Karl Malone winning the award twice.
It is interesting that Towns chose not to mention Giannis Antetokounmpo, as he would be the only contemporary option that Towns could have mentioned. Of course, it wasn’t coming from a place of disrespect, as Towns did mention that he loved Giannis.
Towns also refused to mention himself on his list, noting that he wants others to put him on their lists. As great of a player Towns is, he hasn’t earned the honor of being considered an all-time great just yet in his career.
Will A Championship Put Towns In The Top 5 Power Forwards List?
Karl-Anthony Towns hasn’t found the championship success that players like Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan, who were on his list, were able to. But that could change in a year’s time, as Towns, who is playing for the New York Knicks, has a chance to win his first NBA championship next season.
Towns is one of the most experienced players on the Knicks roster, and along with Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby, knows what it takes to make a deep playoff run. With the roster the Knicks have, the Knicks are arguably the favorites to win the NBA championship.
Towns is coming off an excellent season with the Timberwolves, where he averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, and helped take the franchise to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years. Towns will be looking to go a few steps further this year with the Knicks and win a championship.
Perhaps winning a title will open conversations about where Karl-Anthony Towns ranks among the greatest power forwards of all time. But unless he has the best season of his career, and wins MVP, Towns won’t be considered top 5 even with an NBA championship.
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