Karl-Anthony Towns calls Knicks' NBA title 'a healing experience' for fans, alumni and players alike
The Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns was in the Times Square Raising Cane's to shoot a commercial on Tuesday. Credit: Ed Quinn
Karl-Anthony Towns envisioned all of this. Hoisting the NBA Finals trophy. Seeing thousands of Knicks fans having a dream come true. Even trading in his Knicks jersey for a blue Raising Cane’s T-shirt the morning after appearing on “The Tonight Show.”
But what Towns didn’t envision were the emotions that came with helping the Knicks capture their first title in 53 years.
“I was emotional, too,” the six-time All-Star said before working a promotional “shift” and filming advertisements at the Raising Cane’s flagship store in Times Square on Tuesday. “I think we all are.
“What was so special about this — and I didn’t realize this until after the win — was how much healing that win would do for all of New York City, from the fans to the alumni to even for us as the players in our personal lives. It was a healing experience.”
Towns, who was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Knicks before the 2024-25 season started, reached two consecutive conference finals (one with each team) before winning his first championship. Like Towns, nobody in the Knicks' rotation — besides OG Anunoby, who was injured during the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 run — had won a title.
That’s why Towns believed owner James Dolan’s pre-playoff speech about sacrifice, which was posted publicly Monday, would resonate with the locker room.
“I knew the team that [Dolan] was telling that to would hear it because we were all on our first opportunity at an NBA championship, especially after last year, when we didn't get to see the NBA Finals,” Towns said.
Behind the scenes as @KarlTowns shoots a spot for Raising Cane's in NYC. pic.twitter.com/d3PyJwfEBT
— Newsday Sports (@NewsdaySports) June 16, 2026
Towns has always carried lofty expectations and faced intense scrutiny in 11 NBA seasons, but to him, winning a championship was never about feeling vindicated.
“I never needed people's vindication to feel good about myself,” Towns said.
“My confidence is built in the work,” he added. “My confidence is built in the gym in the long hours that no one can see.”
Towns averaged 15.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game as the Knicks went 16-3 in the playoffs en route to the franchise’s third championship. He had a playoff plus-minus of plus-258, meaning the Knicks outscored their opponents by 258 points with Towns on the floor, the best in a single playoff run in NBA history.
Mike Brown let Towns orchestrate the offense from the top of the key after Game 3 of the first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. Towns had triple-doubles in Games 4 and 6 as the Knicks rallied to win the series.
“He’s a special talent,” Anunoby said of Towns before the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. “He can do it all. And I know if I get open, he’ll find me. No matter how tight the window is, he’ll be able to find it. It’s amazing playing with a player like him.”
While Towns is enjoying the moment — and even serving box combos at Cane's — he knows that once Thursday's parade ends, it'll be time from him and the Knicks to get back to work.
This time, to defend their title.
Newsday's Steve Popper contributed to this story.
