"Knicks gave my dad a chance in NBA": Karl-Anthony Towns gets real about his family connection to New York

Karl-Anthony Towns, an Edison, New Jersey native, spoke about his upbringing and how his mother and father influenced him to become a New York Knicks fan growing up.

During a recent conversation with Shannon Sharpe on his Club Shay Shay show, Towns spoke on how he was connected to the Knicks through his parents and added that an iconic run from a former Knick sealed the deal.

"When my mom immigrated over from D.R., she always went to the Knicks games and I loved my mom. Also, the Knicks were one of the few teams that gave my dad a chance in the NBA, as well. It was training camp, but again.

"They gave my dad a chance, my mom grew up talking so much about Madison Square Garden and the history that comes with it, of course. I was impressionable and on top of that, the most impressionable stage of my career when playing basketball, especially as a young kid, I'm seeing Linsanity go crazy."

He added:

"I had two teams to pick from and MSG was easiest for me to watch for free and Linsanity was the hottest thing at the time, so of course I was watching and tuning in."

After spending the first nine seasons of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns was traded to the Knicks in exchange for Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. He left the Wolves as a four-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA Third Team member and the 2016 Rookie of the Year.

Karl-Anthony Towns talks about his experience playing for Tom Thibodeau

Besides returning to the state where he was born, Karl-Anthony Towns is reuniting with Tom Thibodeau, who coached him from 2016 through 2019. Sharpe asked Towns about the experience of playing with the two-time NBA Coach of the Year. KAT said:

"What I respected so, so much about Thibs is that he wanted to win. And he put the hours in and he put the work in. Playing for Thibs was as watching someone who truly loves what they do. ... I appreciate him even more now that I'm older. He's been great to talk to especially now in my life, and he's one hell of a coach."

The New York Knicks were considered one of the biggest threats to the Boston Celtics in the East last season. Unfortunately, injuries prevented them from reaching their potential and were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs.

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