When James Towns first walked on campus at Niagara University, he knew the name Antoine Mason.
Everybody knew the name Antoine Mason and what he did during his career as a Purple Eagle.
But Towns did not know the person behind the accolades.
Even when he was making his own name for the Purple Eagles, Towns did not know Mason.
But that changed last year.
That changed when the two played against each other in the Basketball Super League in Canada.
The two became friends and are now playing alongside one another for the KW (formerly Kitchener-Waterloo) Titans.
“I played against him last year and I knew he went to Niagara … I was happy to play against somebody else that’s from Niagara,” Mason said. “Now it’s even better to be a teammate of somebody who played at Niagara. I’ve always been a fan of his. I want everybody at Niagara to do well and now being able to play with him is pretty cool.”
The two have helped the Titans put together a 9-4 record, good for second in the BSL standings only behind the Sudbury Five. This season, Mason is averaging 13.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. This year, Towns is averaging 12.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.
As two former Purple Eagles now playing together, they have a bond on the court that allows them to know how the other one plays. As professional players, they are able to adjust to whoever they are playing with but Towns allows Mason and the rest of his teammates to get open and make plays.
Towns has the ability to find the right play and consistently make it.
“I feel like they complement each other well because he’s a natural scorer. I could score the ball but I’m more of a facilitator as well,” Towns said.
While they find themselves on the same team now, their journeys to get there are different. The Titans are Mason’s eighth team, whereas they are the fourth team that Towns has played for.
Throughout his professional career, Mason has had the experience of traveling the globe and he can compare the level of basketball in the five different countries that he has played in. The level of play in Canada is comparable to that in the United States but the European type of basketball is one that is more physical and one where the referees let more go without calling it.
Through his time playing in Canada, Towns has played in two different leagues, the Basketball League and the BSL. Over that time, he has figured out that the referees let more go and that he is facing the best of the best on a nightly basis. He has had to adapt to changing situations as his career has gone along.
The ability to adapt has been something that has served both players well as they have had to deal with challenges through the sport. When he was playing in Jordan, Mason ruptured his achilles when he was on the precipice of joining the Jordanian national team and potentially moving to the NBA G-League.
While Mason did not reach out to Towns when he was playing at Niagara, but he is hoping to reach out to current players and help them more often. The opportunity to give back is something that is also at the forefront of Towns’ mind. He knows he only has a few years left to play professional basketball and he wants to get into coaching after he retires.
When Towns and Mason went back to the Gallagher Center for a Purple Eagles game against Mount St. Mary’s on Jan. 19, Towns talked to his former head coach, Greg Paulus about returning and starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant.
Even during his career, Towns has been spending time helping the next generation. He has spent time as a basketball trainer.
“I feel like I’m a guy who inspires the youth,” Towns said. “That’s what people really don’t know. I do a lot of training with the kids, back at home, I do a lot of training with the younger kids, high schoolers, middle schoolers, pretty much all ages. … That’s why I feel like I’ll be a coach when I’m done playing.”