Karl-Anthony Towns was devastated that the Dominican Republic could no longer continue their journey in the FIBA World Cup 2023 following a blowout loss to Serbia in the second round on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With a spot in the quarterfinals on the line, Los Quisqueyanos crumbled as the Eagles secured a lopsided 112-79 victory to advance to the knockout round.
The Dominican Republic had already secured a spot in the quarterfinals after sweeping Group A with a 3-0 record. Unfortunately, they couldn’t sustain their fine run in the Round of 16, where they lost to Puerto Rico (102-97) before falling to the Serbians.
Despite the heartbreaking end to their once-magical campaign, Towns hopes that their journey in the FIBA Basketball World Cup has inspired the children of their nation to dream big and always believe in themselves.
“I hope we made all the families back home proud. I hope that we brought hope to a country that was told that coming here we wouldn’t be anything,” said an emotional Towns just moments after the loss.
“I hope we showed the girls and boys back home that our country is full of basketball talent, and we are one of the best countries in the world for basketball. We showed anything’s possible. We showed everything’s possible,” he continued.
“I hope that fans enjoyed it. Obviously, I hope for our country, for all the families that needed something to cheer for, something to love, and something to be proud of. I hope we did that.”
In his final game for Los Quisqueyanos in the tournament, the Minnesota Timberwolves big man left it all out on the court, finishing with 25 points, seven rebounds, a steal, and a block.
Towns showed love to his teammates, saying that some of the best moments in his basketball career transpired in this tournament while playing with some of the Dominican Republic’s brightest talents.
“I’m proud of every one of the guys in the locker room. I’m so proud of them, all of them. I mean, some of the finest basketball in my life I played in this tournament,” said the 27-year-old former NBA top overall pick.
“My teammates made this experience so fun. I think that’s why this hurts so bad. I’m not ready to go home. I wanna be with my guys, I wanna be able to hang out with them, I wanna be able to laugh with them, to have more moments. It was devastating not to be able to play basketball with these guys.”
The three-time NBA All-Star received his flowers as well, getting a standing ovation from both Serbian and Dominican Republic fans inside the Smart Araneta Coliseum after he was subbed out with 3:45 left in the game.
“I mean, it means a lot to be respected — something that I feel I don’t get much back home. It was moving to feel respected. It meant a lot; it’s something I don’t get much.”
