NBA Veterans Discuss Knicks Star's Championship Path

Does Karl-Anthony Towns' name have a ring to it? One NBA veteran believes so, but New York Knicks fans may not like the methods.

Towns' arrival in Manhattan has given the Knicks their most legitimate NBA Finals case in quite some time, but some former NBA stars believe it did little to move the needle on his own championship fortunes.

The question over Towns' future was introduced on the latest episode of FanDuel's "Run It Back," as moderator Michelle Beadle asked a panel of former Association standouts whether Towns would retire with over or under 0.5 championship rings. Chandler Parsons was the only one who gave a definitive yes to the idea of Towns winning a championship on the coast—albeit the Western edition.

Boogie Cousins says Karl-Anthony Towns has "no chance" to win a title with the Knicks 👀@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 | @BoogieCousins pic.twitter.com/xoyxphhlMa
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 27, 2025

"I think he's going to be one of those guys where he can shoot the ball, so he can player forever, and I think he's going to be a stretch five until he's 37-years-old and I think he'll get one," Parsons explained.

But when fellow panelist DeMarcus Cousins theorized that Towns would do so by "teaming up with Luka in LA," Parsons appeared to quickly agree. To Cousins' point, the Los Angeles Lakers firmly placed themselves in the championship conversation both now and later with the unexpected trade for former Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic.

Cousins, no stranger to doubting the modern Knicks' championship potential, hardly minced words in his own analysis, firmly declaring that there was "no chance" that a ring would find its way to Towns' finger.

Lou Williams, on the other hand, was slightly more charitable to such chances, but reasoned that Towns and Co. are in no immediate position to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

"I did say the Knicks were contenders," Williams reasoned. "But I just think they're contenders right now. I got to pick a team out of the East, short-term, it's still going to be the Boston Celtics, so I've got to pick the under. Now, obviously they can do some things, change it up and give them an opportunity down the line, but I don't see it right now."

In his first metropolitan tour since coming over in a late offseason trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Towns has guided the Knicks to elite ground, as they posted their third-best pre-All-Star break win total in franchise history (behind only their two championship groups) and they comfortably sit in third on the current Eastern bracket.

However, the Knicks' struggles against elite competition (0-7 against Boston, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City) have thrown a wrench into this championship machine and has many questioning New York's elite credentials. The stage is thus set for an intriguing spring/summer in Manhattan, one that could wind up defining the legacy of Towns as well.

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