Karl-Anthony Towns Became 'A Man' With Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns labeled his trade to the New York Knicks a turning point in both his personal and professional lives.

Dec 5, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

Whatever's the opposite of Neverland, the New York Knicks may found it.

A blank space on the Knicks' schedule couldn't keep Karl-Anthony Towns away from Madison Square Graden on Tuesday night, as he was one of thousands on hand for the annual college basketball showcase known as the Jimmy V Classic. Towns took particular interest in the latter game of the doubleheader, which saw his college coach from Kentucky, John Calipari, lead the Arkansas Razorbacks into battle against No. 14 Michigan.

Towns joined the ESPN broadcast during halftime proceedings clad in a Knicks jacket ad was offered a chance to reflect on the trade that sent him to his late mother's favorite team. The New Jersey native remarked that the switch from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Knicks changed both his professional and personal lives.

"When you get older, you see things with a different lens," the 29-year-old Towns said. "Life has taught me a lot and experiences have taught me a ton. For me to be in this position, at this age, with this maturity level ... I was a boy then, I'm a man now. For me to be in this situation, being back home, being at the Mecca, with everything that came with it and obviously how I got here, it makes this process much easier and more understanding."

Having moved past a slow start, Towns has performed as advertised for the surging Knicks (15-9), who have won 10 of their last 13. He is averaging 25.1 points and 13.3 points for the Knicks this season as New York seeks to build on last year's 50-win campaign that placed second in the Eastern Conference.

Towns put forth a memorable effort in the Knicks' last showing on Monday: having generated yet another double-double (24 points, 15 rebounds), Towns capped things off with an emphatic three-pointer that served as the sealer to a 113-108 win over the Toronto Raptors. Towns proudly brandished the "New York" branding on his jersey after the fateful three, only adding to his early metropolitan legend.

Though the Knicks endured a challenge from the reeling Raptors, Towns felt it could set a tone for the rest of the season.

"I think we showed a lot of [grit] in our last game," Towns explained. "We played with a lot of grit to find a way to win. It's an ugly win. We didn't play well, we didn't really play Knicks basketball but we found a way in the end to win."

Towns has an early opportunity to bring a championship of sorts to New York, as the Knicks will engage in NBA Cup quarterfinal play on Wednesdyagaint the Atlanta Hawks (7 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN).

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