MINNEAPOLIS-As Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns continues to box out the competition for NBA Rookie of the Year, the Wolves' marketing department has done the same in its promotion of Towns to postseason award voters.
The sales pitch might be moot considering Towns has swept Western Conference rookie of the month honors five times, including Tuesday's announcement for March.
The promotion, titled "KAT CAB" is a box covered in taxi-cab stickers. Inside are a branded taxi driver's hat, key chain, air freshener, driver's permit and a log book with 19 of the greatest games in Towns' rookie season.
Those games include the 30-point, 15-rebound game against New Orleans Feb. 27, where Towns became the youngest player with 30-plus points and 15-plus rebounds since LeBron James in 2003. It also includes his Skills Challenge win at All-Star weekend and two 6-block games.
What wasn't included because of the timing of the KAT CAB release was Tuesday's 20-point, 12-rebound performance in the Wolves' stunning 124-117 win over the Golden State Warriors.
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The Wolves (26-52) and KAT threw a wrench in the Warriors' (69-9) plan to break the Chicago Bulls' regular-season record mark of 72-10 in 1995-96. After Minnesota's upset win, Golden State must now win all remaining four games.
Back to the KAT CAB, which includes quotes from Warriors forward Draymond Green:
"He has been amazing. Just watching him as a rookie from the start of the season he has continued to grow," Green said. "He is a special talent that will be good in this league for a long time."
During Andrew Wiggins' Rookie of the Year candidacy in 2014-15, the Wolves' marketing team sent out a pair of socks with the catch phrase of Wiggins "knocking the socks off the competition."
