Karl-Anthony Towns to donate Kia in honor of Flip Saunders

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns will donate the Kia that he won for being name the NBA Rookie of the Year to the Minnesota Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

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Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns will donate the Kia he won for being named the NBA Rookie of the Year to the Minnesota Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, reports Kristen Ledlow of NBA TV.

Towns, 20, is donating the car in honor of his former coach Flip Saunders, who passed away at the age of 60 last year after battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Towns honored Saunders during his acceptance of the award, wearing a pin with his coach’s name on his suit.

• Karl-Anthony Towns named NBA Rookie of the Year unanimously

Towns was named the Rookie of the Year after setting Minnesota franchise rookie records in 2015–16. He finished the season averaging 18.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. 

He earned a unanimous vote for the award.