New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns has been on the receiving end of immense backlash and vitriol ever since the Knicks were eliminated from the playoffs. In consideration of how complex the situation is, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving decided to step in to defend Towns. In a recent video posted by Irving, he said:
"Y'all gotta stop making fun of my brother KAT. I'm done with y'all. Stop making fun of my brother KAT. It's over. It's a f***ing wrap. I'm letting y'all know, if you repost that s**t again, meme him up, I'm attacking you. Not like that physically in GTA, but I'm attacking you."
Irving went on to share how Town's origins from New Jersey had a massive influence on him as an individual, considering how ethnically diverse the state is. "He's Dominican, he's Black. He grew up in a certain area in Jersey, just like me, and you've got to survive out here," Irving added. "And you have many different demographics of people. So you've got to survive."
Irving did refer to Towns' code-switching antics and said it was funny, but he quickly switched back and said, "On a serious note, he's a man. He's my brother. I'll protect him all the time."
Karl-Anthony Towns' influence on the Knicks was undeniable this season. After only one season, Towns helped New York become one of the best teams in the East, boasting a very legitimate chance of making it to the NBA Finals.
Unfortunately, the Knicks' shortcomings were brought under the microscope during the ECF series against the Indiana Pacers. As an unfortunate outcome of the same, the big man ended up copping the blame as his poor effort on the defensive end had a huge impact on the team.
Regardless, Towns' performance was nothing short of spectacular. While known to be one of the best sharpshooting big men in the league, the Knicks center played with an intensity in the paint that was virtually unrecognizable during the playoffs. These contributions helped the team secure some massive wins as well.
Towns' averages for the regular season were an impressive 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game, earning him an All-Star nod as well. These numbers were reduced a bit in the playoffs, coming down to 21.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, but his influence was still felt.
With the loss in the ECF, the Knicks saw huge overhauls in the organization's structure, beginning with the departure of Tom Thibodeau. Although player concerns have been cited as one of the reasons, an executive has blamed Towns for the head coach's firing.
New York is in the process of seeing a lot of personnel changes. With a vacant head coach position, the Knicks have shown an interest in Jason Kidd, Ime Udoka, and, more recently, Chris Finch.
While the roster itself has remained untouched, it is expected that the franchise will be making some serious moves ahead of the upcoming NBA Draft.
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