The New York Knicks are two wins away from their first NBA title in decades, and the city is already buzzing. But as the energy reaches a fever pitch, Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns is keeping his focus on something beyond the hardwood: the safety of New York's finest.
Towns, who dropped 21 points and grabbed 13 boards in a Game 2 victory in San Antonio, gave a heartfelt shoutout to the NYPD ahead of the Finals. When asked if he'd join fans on 7th Avenue after a potential title clincher, Towns grinned and said, 'Maybe a picture of me. I pray for the NYPD.'
The six-time All-Star didn't stop there. He went on to praise the men and women in blue for walking the tightrope between protecting the public and letting Knicks fans cut loose. 'I gotta give a shoutout to the NYPD, to all those men and women that are out there who are not only protecting everybody, but on the flip side as well, in my personal experience, who are huge fans of the Knicks and support the Knicks fans in their ability to show how much they love the Knicks and being as lenient as possible without causing chaos,' Towns said.
Towns' comments come after a rough night for law enforcement following Game 2. According to the NYPD, 17 people were arrested outside Madison Square Garden during a watch party, with fans climbing light poles and ignoring orders to disperse. Even worse, a police officer was assaulted during the celebration, drawing a sharp rebuke from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
'The assault on an NYPD officer outside Madison Square Garden last night was unacceptable,' Mamdani wrote on X. 'New Yorkers are rightfully excited about the Knicks' historic Finals run, and we want fans to celebrate this moment together. There is, however, no place for violence, and no tolerance for attacks on police officers.'
The mayor thanked officers for keeping fans safe and wished the injured officer a speedy recovery. He urged fans to celebrate responsibly as the series shifts back to New York for Game 3.
Towns, for his part, is leaning on experience and execution to keep the Knicks focused. 'I have been on the other side where you’re a young team and you’re trying to do a lot to win the game,' he said. 'And I think that for us, we keep leaning on experience and we keep leaning on the word “execution.”'
The Knicks' run has already sparked plenty of off-court drama, from fans begging former President Trump to stay away from MSG to Towns' emotional tribute to his late mother after Game 2. But if the Knicks close out the series at home, Towns wants the celebration to be safe—and he's counting on the NYPD to help make that happen.
