FIBA 2023 WORLD CUP
Why is Karl-Anthony Towns playing for the Dominican Republic at the 2023 FIBA World Cup?
The NBA player will be the most charismatic face among the Dominican Republic team, which will play in Group A.
The 2023 FIBA World Cup starts this Friday, with 32 teams fighting to make history and lift the title in a tournament that will be held in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia from August 25 to September 10.
Team USA, France, Canada, Australia, and Spain are the favorites to go all the way, but some rosters could make an impact and become the standout sides in the event.
One of them is the Dominican Republic. They will play in Group A, where they will face Italy, the Philippines and Angola.
The European side is the favorite to top the section, but the Dominicans are regarded as a solid team that could pull off the upset and advance to the next round as group leaders. Why? One of the reasons is that among Néstor García’s men, there will be Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns.
Why is Karl-Anthony Towns playing for the Dominican Republic?
Towns hasn’t had the season he expected to have with the Timberwolves, as he only played 29 games due to a difficult injury-marred campaign that hasn’t let him perform at the level he expected to.
However, the player now seems recovered and fit to feature in the World Cup, as he recently expressed. He will play for the Dominican Republic for the first time since 2013.
“The timing is right. I didn’t put as much stress on my body this last season because of the injury. I’m feeling great now, I’m 100% and feeling like myself again. It’s a perfect time to work on some things in my game”, he said.
The international event will give Towns the chance to compete at the highest level and possibly get his body used and ready for the NBA’s next season.
However, the main reason why the Wolves’ big man will feature in the Philippines playing for the Dominican Republic is because he wanted to represent his mother’s home country as a tribute to her.
“(...) With my mom’s passing, I felt an urgency to do it,” he stated.
The Dominicans will play their opening game against the Philippines, a match that the Caribbean side is expected to win.