"Gonna be weird not seeing you on the Kentucky sidelines": Karl-Anthony Towns leaves a heartfelt message for John Calipari amid Wildcats departure
John Calipari has become synonymous with Kentucky Wildcats basketball over the past 15 seasons, helping a long list of players accomplish their goals of reaching the NBA.
After the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer announced that he would be leaving the program, Karl-Anthony Towns, who spent the 2014-15 season as a member of the Wildcats, shared a message thanking his collegiate coach.
The Minnesota Timberwolves star took to X, stating:
"Gonna be weird not seeing you on the Kentucky sidelines, but thank you coach for helping me and my family achieve our dreams and giving us the best college experience. My Love for Kentucky and Coach Cal has and will continue to have no bounds ✊🏽 💙"
Check out Karl-Anthony Towns' tweet on John Calipari's departure below:
Towns had plenty of success in his lone season with the Wildcats, as he led the program to a 38-1 record, with their lone loss coming in the Final Four. He averaged 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 steals and 2.3 blocks in just 21.1 minutes per game. He was named a consensus second-team All-American while also receiving first-team All-SEC and SEC Freshman of the Year honors.
His lone year with Calipari helped Towns solidify his status as the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. By the time his current contract expires following the 2027-28 season, the four-time All-Star will have earned over $400 million in earnings.
John Calipari shares video announcing Kentucky Wildcats departure
John Calipari is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. While it was assumed that he would retire with the Kentucky Wildcats after signing what was described as a 'lifetime contract' in June 2019, that will not be the case.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer announced his departure from the program in a video shared to social media on Tuesday, stating:
"Since our season ended, Ellen and I have spent a lot of time thinking about our time here at Kentucky. What it means to us, the friends we've made. On that court, regional championships, conference championships, Final Fours, the national title in 2012. It's been a beautiful time for us. This is a dream job. It was my dream job. Anybody in our profession looks at the University of Kentucky in basketball and said, that is the bluest of blue."
He continued:
"The last few weeks, we've come to realize that this program probably needs to hear another voice, that the university as a whole has to have another voice giving guidance about this program that they hear, and the fans need to hear another voice. We've loved it here but we think it's time for us to step away and step away completely from the program... It's been a dream what we've been able to do, but 15 years, time for another voice and you know I'm always going to be a fan."
Check out John Calipari's announcement that he is leaving the Kentucky Wildcats below:
John Calipari's legacy with the Wildcats includes winning the aforementioned 2012 national title as well as reaching four Final Fours.
Calipari has also led the program to six SEC regular season championships and six SEC Tournament championships. He was named Naismith College Coach of the Year and AP College Coach of the Year in 2015 while earning SEC Coach of the Year honors four times. He leaves the program with a 410-123 record in his 15 seasons at Kentucky.