Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns Takes a Step Forward for Post-NBA Life With $3M Project

Karl-Anthony Towns isn’t waiting for retirement to figure out who he’ll be when the sneakers come off. While most players talk about business plans and brand deals, Towns is already cementing something bigger: a legacy in brick and community. And the first blueprint just got revealed.

The New York Knicks forward joined Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader in announcing a brand-new basketball arena in Tamboril, Santiago. Price tag? $3 million. Capacity? 2,500 fans. Impact? Immeasurable. The project built at the Go Ministries Sports Complex is a sports facility, yes, but it is also a promise.

“I’ve been very fortunate because of basketball, but I think this is the proudest moment of my life,” Towns said, visibly moved. “I express my love to those who changed my mind and allowed me to fulfill my dream of being Dominican and helping our people.” You could hear the gratitude, but you could also hear something else: the start of what his life after basketball might look like.

President Abinader, to his credit, matched the emotion, calling the arena “a beautiful design for the youth of Tamboril,” while pointing out how it will host regional and national tournaments through Go Ministries. It was clear this wasn’t a political box-checking exercise. It was a shared vision of opportunity, with Towns at the center. For Karl-Anthony Towns, though, the project feels deeply personal.

Tamboril is where his father was born. The arena isn’t just concrete and seats anymore, but a love letter to his family roots, to the soil that shaped him, and to the next generation of kids who want to see how far a jump shot can really take them. That generational impact is something Towns has been thinking about often. In an interview with Bloomberg just weeks earlier, he admitted he’s been mapping out what comes next.

“I thought about it, you know, whatever, you know, doing so many charitable works, especially in the Dominican Republic, back in my mother’s home country, and having some businesses right now, investments that are doing amazing.” And this is not just random talk. 

A look into Karl-Anthony Towns’ next chapter

By the time his four-year, $220 million contract extension with the Knicks runs out, Towns will be 36. He will also have accumulated over $404 million in career earnings, ranking him among the top 20 all-time in NBA salary history. With numbers like that, he has the flexibility to dream and the means to deliver. But for all the future-gazing, Karl-Anthony Towns is quick to ground himself.

“Everyone I talk to, especially young kids, always asks me, ‘What’s the best piece of advice?’ It’s always: to stay in the present. Continue to take care of the present. The future will take care of itself.” Right now, the present seems pretty good. In his first season with the Knicks, Towns averaged 23.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 90 games, including the playoffs.

His 40.8% from deep made him the team’s only player to shoot above 40% from three. On a roster where the front office has invested more than $740 million into a three-year championship window, Towns is a foundational piece. So why think about retirement already?

Because, as he admits, “the future comes up pretty quick.” Towns didn’t dismiss the possibility of becoming a coach one day. He has the mind for the game, the respect of peers, and now, the taste of leadership that comes with projects like the Tamboril arena. And it’s not lost on anyone how perfectly the threads connect: a Dominican-American star, one of the best-shooting big men the league has ever seen, standing alongside his country’s president, talking about gyms and kids and dreams.

For Towns, it’s the ultimate full-circle moment. Back in January, Towns had even invited Minister of Sports Kelvin Cruz to Madison Square Garden for a Knicks game, where he later joined him for dinner. That meal set the wheels in motion for a phone call with President Abinader, leading to the project that was unveiled this week. That wasn’t a coincidence. It was Towns making sure his platform translates into action.

By the time this arena opens its doors, it won’t just echo with squeaking sneakers and buzzer sounds. It will carry Towns’ story, from New Jersey gyms to NBA arenas to a lasting imprint in the Dominican Republic. And when the day finally comes that he does step away from the league, he’ll already know what kind of life waits for him: one built on giving back, one jump shot at a time.