Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns Share Right Mentality for Championship

This former Wolf is coming to love his New York Knicks pack.

Karl-Anthony Towns is in the Bay Area for the main event of the NBA's All-Star Weekend, a four-team tournament set to close out the showcase with a bang on Sunday night (8 p.m. ET, TNT). Stationed in San Francisco with metropolitan teammate—and All-Star Game foe—Jalen Brunson, Towns acknowledged the Knicks' efforts as a whole with a rare moment to breathe.

“I didn’t come over to be a distraction or disrupt the flow or be on an ego trip or anything. It’s about the team and I came to amplify them and amplify [Brunson]," Towns told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “You can’t win a championship by yourself. You need everybody."

"I’m just happy we have a team full of guys who are willing to sacrifice and look at the big picture and do what it takes to bring the city wins every single night, and hopefully it results in a chip.”

Nov 27, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) grabs a rebound in front of guard Jalen Brunson (11) and Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Some questioned the decision to bring in Towns so late in the offseason through a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, one that bid farewell to familiar franchise faces Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. Towns was one of several new faces brought in to keep building upon last season's 50-win success, with that haul also including Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet, as well as OG Anunoby and Josh Hart working on new long-term deals.

After a slow start, Towns has helped stabilize the Knicks and put them on a torrid pace that has them firmly entrenched within the Eastern Conference's top three. He and Brunson became the first pair of Manhattan teammates elected to an All-Star Game's starting lineup since Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe did the deed in Phoenix back in 1975.

Lasting teammates, namely his father Karl Sr., coming for the ride have also offered Towns a sense of hardwood serenity, one prominently displayed with sterling statistical averages of 24.7 points and a career-best 10.3 rebounds.

“He definitely has made it a commitment. I’m just blessed to have a father who loves his son that much,” Towns told Bondy. “I know a lot of people, especially people in my friend groups and stuff, they didn’t have that luxury."

"To have a father who is committed to his son, loves his son enough to make these trips and cheer me on in all my endeavors, I don’t take that lightly. Because I have friends and associates that really wish they had that opportunity that I’m very fortunate every day to have.”

Following Sunday's festivities, Towns returns to action with the Knicks on Thursday night when they host the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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