Karl-Anthony Towns Pens an Open Letter to the BBN

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="768"] Via Lakers Nation[/caption] Karl-Anthony Towns endeared himself to the Big Blue Nation this past season with his big play and even bigger heart. Today that heart was on full display as the big man released a letter to the fans via twitter and instagram. Here's a link to part 1 and part 2 with the full letter transcribed below:

To the true Wildcats, Since the first time I played at Rupp, I sensed the amount of love you had for us and from my heart I want to say I love you too. This has been the greatest time of my life, and it's thanks to you, the true Wildcats, for making my team of brothers and my time so special. The passion, excitement, and support you gave us is impossible to describe and will never be matched by ANY other fan base, professional or collegiate. The reason why Kentucky basketball program has been so successful for so long is because of your support and love for us: the players and coaching staff. No talent can match the fans that we have and it is because of this that the talent comes to this University. Nowhere else in the world will they get the love and support that you give us each and every game. This love is seen in all the away games that in fact felt like home games. We knew that no matter where we were, Big Blue Nation, would be there for us.   To my Coaching Staff, Thank you for developing me as a player this season but most importantly for making me a better human being. Thank you for treating me with respect of a man. You've made another boy, a man and it's thanks to your guidance.   To the University of Kentucky, Thank you for giving me the best coaching staff in the country, but more importantly the best academic staff in the country. The education you have given me is some of the best the world has to offer. I cannot wait to come back and earn my degree.   Furthermore, I am forever grateful the opportunity to play basketball and become part of the history of this university and can't wait to see the day that the next generation of Wildcats brings to Lexington the trophy I failed to capture. Now that I have that off my chest....   To the one and only BBN, I want to first off say Thank You! Just thank you! This moment in my life is a dream come true; but also a sad farewell. I wanted the last time I wore a Kentucky Wildcat jersey to be in glory lifting the 9th championship trophy but we came up short and I personally want to say I am sorry for not bringing you, the greatest fans on this planet, what should be rightfully yours. I want to thank you for being with me and supporting me through all the success that went into being 38-0 and also in the pain of being 38-1. This was a hard decision for me because I love this place so much, and I know due to popular belief it was supposed to be an easy decision. However, I want you to know that it was one of the hardest decisions that I have ever had to make in my life. P.S. Karlito says Hi! : )   In conclusion, my main goal at Kentucky was not only to win a championship, but also to touch as many lives as I could. From the bottom of my heart I want to thank you all for allowing me to be part of your lives and for allowing me to do the charity work I was able to do this season. Most importantly, I want to thank you for accepting this outsider into your family. I want you to know that no matter where I go, you will be part of my journey and forever have a huge chunk of my heart. With love to all of BBN, -KT

Wow. What an awesome kid we get to call a Wildcat forever. Thank you Karl-Athony Towns for everything you did for the Big Blue Nation, at only 19 years old you've displayed an amount of character that we can all aspire to. What a good kid.