The Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns is unapologetically New York

It was like a wrestling promo being interrupted.

Friday night, after New York’s 116-94 dunk by the Milwaukee Bucks, Knicks star Jalen Brunson had his back to his locker and a gaggle of reporters in his face. The guard was talking about everything New York did right when, between answers, the music suddenly hit from the door – a song by the late MF Doom, an underground British-American rapper raised in New York. Naturally, the reporters’ necks turned and in came Karl-Anthony Towns, the four-time All-Star big man who was traded to the Knicks last month.

From Towns’ phone boomed a series of New York rap staples, like “Whoa” by the late Black Rob, and then he had a side conversation about Yonkers native Jadakiss, a Towns favorite, who was in attendance for the Knicks’ win.

Towns is from nearby Edison, NJ, which is less than an hour’s drive from Manhattan on a good traffic day, and since returning to the city on the biggest stage in his trade, everything about him has been unapologetically New York. He has loudly embraced the city and his roots — from the music he chooses to share publicly, to his wardrobe, which often features vintage modern or vintage Knicks gear, to his Dominican heritage and obsession with the Yankees. After Knicks games, whether home or away, Towns was in the locker room, glued to a television, watching New York’s most famous baseball team in the World Series.

Playing so close to home has a special appeal.

“My mom’s family … the Dominicans are very excited,” said Towns, who is half-Dominican. “My father, my mother, who immigrated over here from the Dominican Republic, Madison Square Garden, to her, was Mecca. And for our family, it’s always been Mecca. To be able to play in a place that was so revered by her. It obviously strikes a different chord.”

Since his arrival, the New York-centric nicknames “The Big Bodega” and “Bodega KAT” have been tossed around as possible alternate designations for his typical “KAT,” and he’s fine with both. “I’ll let the people decide,” Towns said.

“I don’t think he likes being called ‘Meow,'” Knicks swingman Josh Hart said when asked if he’s learned anything about Towns over the past month. “I learned that. I haven’t called him that in a while.”

Towns embraces his roots off the floor, and in turn, that allows him to embrace them on the court. There is both emotion and showmanship after many buckets. There’s nothing more New York than that. He tries to dunk on opponents. Hard. And it has succeeded a few times. He is one of the league’s best rebounders through the early part of the season, and according to NBA.com, no player has been better at getting rebounds in traffic. No one should question his toughness.

Many players would enter a new situation and be afraid to start. Many players who join an already successful team will try to adapt to try to fit in. Still, Towns has come to New York and has stood out. He has been one of the best offensive players in basketball, averaging 24.3 points on a 53/56/90 shooting split. He remains one of the best big men ever to shoot a basketball.

Towns in New York has been, well, Towns.

“The guys in this locker room have welcomed me with open arms and made me feel comfortable,” Towns said. “They want me to play my game. Obviously there will be times when we’ll have to find the context because we’re still not used to playing with each other, but I think you know , every single day we get better and every single day we work on ourselves and as a team.

“My teammates have been a big part of the transition and the coaching staff has done a great job, but it’s the guys in this locker room with the jerseys that have made it very easy for (my game) to translate.”

One of those teammates is Brunson, whom Towns refers to only as “Cap,” which is short for “Captain.” The two are in the early stages of forming a partnership that, with more time, should present one of the most lethal pick-and-roll/pop combinations in hoops. The two are still searching for consistency, the perfect balance, the one where both are allowed to do what makes them special while joining forces to create something unstoppable. It comes with time.

“We can still get a lot better,” Brunson said.

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When Towns was traded to the Knicks, Towns reunited with his old coach Tom Thibodeau, who coached the big man in Minnesota and helped him reach heights he had yet to achieve as a player. The rockiness of their relationship back then has been well-documented, but when the opportunity to join forces presented itself just before the start of the regular season, both men were eager to give it another shot. After all, both are committed to winning, and Towns was well aware that his first taste of success as a professional, both individually and in a team capacity, came under Thibodeau’s watch. Thibodeau, meanwhile, is more than aware of the special dynamic that Towns can bring to a basketball team offensively.

Thibodeau has a track record of maximizing his centers. Isaiah Hartenstein earned himself a hefty contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder this summer because of how he performed under Thibodeau in New York last season. Thibodeau has also helped make Mitchell Robinson one of the more feared rim protectors in basketball. Thibodeau’s success with big men can be traced all the way back to Taj Gibson in Chicago.

Under the second round with Thibodeau, Towns could very well have the best season of his career. Offensively, the coach has put Towns in positions to get downhill, be a hub at the top of the key and empower him to unleash his lethal 3-point shot with even more regularity. The Knicks are a better team when Towns shoots more. Before this weekend, New York is 3-1 in games where Towns shoots at least five 3s in a game.

“We’re fourth in offensive rating, we’re top five in field-goal percentage, we’re No. 1 in 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage, but we need more,” Thibodeau said. “We need to turn up the volume.”

Towns can do that, and he has been every time he’s played.

The 28-year-old big man has adjusted well to life in New York, though the personal whirlwind of being traded just before training camp from Minnesota, the only place he’s called home as an adult, took a while to slow down, even if he still looking for a physical home.

In New York, Towns embraces who he is, as both a player and a person, and what is important to him. Part of that embrace is acknowledging those around him while still wearing what makes him special. This is New York, after all, where everyone feels like an individual, but things can’t be done without everyone working together.

The Knicks will be better because of how Towns approaches this opportunity. It will just take time, as all great things tend to do.

(Top photo: Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)