'Wheel of Fortune': NBA Star's Mistake on Celebrity Edition Leads to Tough Loss
NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns appeared on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune to raise money for a charity and made one costly mistake. According to Yahoo, Towns was attempting to solve a "Before and After" puzzle but said one extra word, causing him to lose the round. The Minnesota Timberwolves star accidentally said "Martin Short, Short Circuit" instead of "Martin Short Circuit." Actor Anthony Anderson correctly solved the puzzle and host Pat Sajak explained to Towns what happened.
"We have to go by the rules here," Sajak said. "You understand that, being in the NBA as you are, where the refs never miss a call." That was not a great moment for Towns, but he didn't leave the game empty-handed. The 26-year-old raised $30,000 for the Vera Institute of Justice. Anderon raised $75,300 for the Anderson Family Foundation and Desperate Housewives Star Marcia Cross raised $62,150 for Stand Up to Cancer.
On the same night Towns appeared on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, he scored 40 points in a 141-123 victory over the Houston Rockets and he now has 10 career games where he scored 40 points or more, which ties him with Kevin Love for the most in Timberwolves history. Currently, the team is 20-20 on the year and would make the playoffs if it started today.
"You're seeing a maturation of a young team finding their own," Towns said, per the StarTribune. "I think everyone in the NBA is seeing an identity being built in Minnesota, something that I think has been lacking in this organization for a long, long time. A true identity and I think what's even better is you're seeing an actual love for each other." Towns also said, "Everybody wants to be great. Everybody wants to be on top of their job and it crosses over."
The Timberwolves selected Towns No. 1 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. He was selected to the All-Rookie First Team and named Rookie of the Year after averaging 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in his first season. Towns has been selected to the All-Star game in 2018 and 2019 and the All-NBA Third Team in 2018. This season, Towns is averaging 24.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest.