NBA Stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Carmelo Anthony Arrive in Taiwan

Taoyuan, Taiwan (CNA) — NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks arrived in Taiwan on Thursday, touching down at Taoyuan International Airport at 5:09 a.m. on a China Airlines flight. A welcoming crowd of fans eagerly waited for the three-time All-Star’s arrival.

University student Chen (陳), who showed up at the airport at 3:40 a.m., expressed excitement, saying, “It’s been a while since an NBA player last came to Taiwan. As a Knicks fan, I couldn’t miss this chance.” Towns took time to sign memorabilia for fans before leaving the airport.

Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2015 NBA Draft, Towns played his first nine seasons in the Western Conference before joining the Knicks in a trade during the 2024 offseason. In the 2024-25 season, he has averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.

Towns is in Taiwan on behalf of the Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League. He is scheduled to participate in a 3-on-3 event at The Westin Tashee Resort in Taoyuan. Additionally, on Saturday, he will be a special guest at another basketball event at the Taoyuan Arena, where he will join two-time NBA champion Kawhi Leonard.

This visit aligns with Leonard’s Asia tour, marking his first trip to Taiwan. Leonard’s event is jointly organized by the Leopards and The Asian Tournament.

On Friday, just a day after Towns’ arrival, ten-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony also landed in Taiwan around 5 a.m. Tony is set to attend the GQ Style Fest in Taipei on Saturday, where he will meet with fans.

The 41-year-old Anthony, a former third overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, is recognized for his remarkable scoring abilities, finishing his career with 28,289 points. He is honored for his Olympic contributions and is being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 6, recognizing both his NBA achievements and his role in the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.