Welcome to the modern NBA: Big man Karl-Anthony Towns wins NBA 3-Point shooting contest

CLEVELAND — In another sign how basketball has evolved, especially in the NBA, a 6-foot-11 big man won the NBA’s 3-point contest on Saturday.

With 3-point legends Reggie Miller, Ray Allen and Steph Curry watching, Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns won the event, besting Atlanta’s Trae Young and Los Angeles Clippers’ Luke Kennard in the finals.

Towns scored a record 29 points in the final round, making 18 of his first 22 shots, including nine of his first 10, 4-of-5 on his money-ball rack (worth two points each instead of one) and one Mt. Dew shot from deep range.

"I said it on Timberwolves Twitter, I said it everywhere — the only way I’m going to lose this is if someone outshoots me. I ain’t going to beat myself out here," Towns said. "I’m up there with the best-shooting big man of all-time."

Towns went up against the game’s best 3-point shooters, but this was an opportunity he has relished.

"I’ve been asking the NBA to let me do this," Towns said as walked into the interview room holding the trophy.

He said he woke up at 8 a.m. Saturday to practice.

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"I didn't come here to participate. I came here to compete. I came here to win," he said. "On the other hand, too, it's just I feel for me in my life, my motto has always been if I can't do something at 110% and give all of me, I don't want to do it, and I knew when I got the call, and I had been begging the NBA for years to let me do this contest, and I finally got that call this year to do it, so just wanted make the most of it. If I'm going show up, I'm going to try to show out as well."

Towns is a solid 3-point shooter, making 2.1 3s per game on 40.9% shooting this season.

Earlier in the day at All-Star media availability, Towns addressed the issue of the NBA’s modern-day big.

"The role of center is dying," Towns said. "There’s that flex forward slash center that’s more common now. That’s on the rise. People’s thoughts of a center with his back to the basket, just rebound, just a big bulky buy who doesn’t shot free throws well, doesn’t shoot 3s well and can’t do anything but hook shots and dunks."

After his victory, he added, " I just think that for all the kids, the tall kids and for all the big men out there who are told that they won't succeed doing nothing but having their back to the basket and shooting hook shots, I want to be the example that that's not true. You can accomplish anything you want and be the player that you want to be at any time."

Memphis’ Desmond Bane, Chicago’s Zach LaVine, Toronto’s Fred VanVleet and Brooklyn’s Patty Mills were eliminated in the first round.

LaVine, McCollum and Young were the only players who had participated in the 3-point contest previously.

Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Karl-Anthony Towns wins NBA 3-Point Shootout with record round