Before an emotional night at Target Center, Towns took some time for himself to reminisce: "I was committed to retiring here."

Towns’ journey to New York has been a whirlwind of its own, but his return to Minnesota highlighted that no matter where his career takes him, the ties to his past remain strong. His emotional reflection on his time with the Timberwolves was a reminder that Minnesota will always be a part of who he is.

T he love affair between Karl-Anthony Towns and Minnesota didn't end because he was traded, "I continue to see Minnesota as a home for me," Towns said at shootaround Thursday.