The New York Knicks beat the Boston Celtics by a score of 119-81 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden, causing an outpouring of emotions in NYC as fans let out years of frustration on social media.
One of the heroes of the series was Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks center who came over from the Minnesota Timberwolves during 2024's offseason.
The man known as 'KAT' was the number one overall pick in 2015, and he's been playing like it lately.
Towns scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in New York's clinching win, a promising development for a team that will need all hands on deck to defeat the fourth-seeded Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
On Saturday, fans began noticing something different about Towns in a viral video after the Knicks' win.
Karl Anthony-Towns celebrates a big play.
Karl-Anthony Towns celebrates a three-point shot against the Celtics on May 16, 2025.
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
"Why KAT tryna force a New York accent," a fan said on X with a crying emoji.
The video of Towns talking elicited over 700 comments as of Saturday afternoon.
"This can't be the same person lmao," one fan said on X as they shared a video of Towns with a different sounding voice during his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"He grew up in NJ/NYC," another fan said with a clown face emoji in response to a different message.
"Wit me at Rucka Pahk in New Yawk," another fan added, attempting to mimic the New York accent through typing.
Another fan compared Towns to LSU coach and former Notre Dame/Grand Valley State coach Brian Kelly, who headed south to take an SEC coaching job.