Karl-Anthony Towns is on the World Team because the NBA is treating him as an international player due to his Dominican roots and national-team history, even though he was born in the United States.

Quick Scoop: The Basic Reason

  • Towns’ mother was Dominican, and he strongly identifies with that heritage.
  • He has officially played for the Dominican Republic national team in FIBA competitions, including the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
  • For the new 2026 All-Star “USA vs. World” format, the league groups players by international ties and national-team representation, not just birthplace, so he’s slotted with Team World.

The New All-Star Format

  • The 2026 All-Star Game uses a three-team setup: two U.S. teams and one World team in a mini-tournament instead of a single game.
  • Team World is built around players with international backgrounds or international national-team experience (Giannis, Jokic, Wembanyama, etc.), and KAT fits that profile because of his Dominican connection.

“Isn’t He American?”

  • Yes, he was born and raised in the U.S., but international basketball often counts which country you represent competitively, not just where you were born.
  • Since Towns has long represented the Dominican Republic in FIBA play, the NBA is comfortable labeling him “World” for this exhibition format.
  • The “World Team” here is a basketball identity bucket, not a legal citizenship ruling.

KAT Actually Wanted World Team

  • Earlier coverage from late 2025 quoted Towns saying he hoped to make the World Team if he was picked, showing he embraced that side of the format.
  • He’s proud of his Dominican roots and has talked about representing them as a way of honoring his late mother.

Performance Context

  • Towns is still putting up All-Star-caliber numbers with the Knicks in 2025–26 (around 19–20 points and nearly 12 rebounds per game), which made him an easy inclusion once they decided his designation.
  • His move to Team World also helps balance star power between the U.S. and World sides in this new format.

TL;DR: He’s on the World Team because he represents the Dominican Republic in international basketball and proudly claims that heritage, and the NBA’s new All-Star setup uses that international identity rather than just American birthplace.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.