Karl-Anthony Towns finally has the kind of answer that shuts down years of noise.
After the New York Knicks won the 2026 NBA Championship, Towns’ father, Karl Towns Sr., used the moment to take a pointed shot at Jimmy Butler, the former teammate whose fallout with Towns helped shape so much of the conversation around his son.
In a feature by The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, Towns Sr. described what it felt like watching the final seconds of Game 5 tick away as the Knicks finished off the San Antonio Spurs in five games. He said the emotion hit him hard once the end was close enough to see.
“When there were eight seconds to go in the game, I started crying because my emotions caught up to me. s a dad, you sit here and you hear all the rumors. ‘He can’t do it.
He’s not tough. He’ll never win a championship.
I knew in the next eight seconds, life was going to change. All the haters, all the naysayers, everybody who doubted him have to shut their mouths and respect him now.”
Then he went straight at Butler.
“It only hurt me as a father to hear people saying stuff that was negative that wasn’t true to bring him down. But in the end, it all paid up.
Jimmy ain’t got no championship. Karl bypassed him.”
That line lands with extra force because of the history between the two. Butler arrived in Minnesota in 2017 and quickly became part of a partnership with Towns that fell apart fast. Butler eventually asked out, and the relationship hit a breaking point during a memorable 2018 training camp practice when he challenged the Timberwolves’ younger players.
Towns kept his distance publicly through the drama and did not get into a war of words before Butler was traded to the Sixers in November 2018.
But the narrative around Towns kept following him. Butler went on to find success, including two trips to the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat, while Towns continued to carry the burden of questions about whether he could lead a team to the top.
Now he has the championship that changes that conversation.
Towns was a central piece of the Knicks’ run to the title, helping them end a 53-year championship drought. New York closed the postseason at 16-3 and beat the Spurs 4-1 in the Finals.
His scoring dipped in the championship series, but his impact showed up in other ways. His defense, rebounding and efficiency mattered all postseason, and he helped hold Victor Wembanyama to 42% shooting from the field and 27% from three in the Finals.
Even with the ring secured, Towns’ future in New York is not fully settled. He has two years left on his contract, including a $61 million player option for 2027-28, and is eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $276 million. So far, though, talks with the Knicks have not led to an agreement.
Money is the obstacle. Owner James Dolan has made it clear he does not want the franchise above the second apron, and the Knicks already have major long-term money tied up across the roster.
Towns is reportedly open to taking less than the maximum, but the sides have yet to land on the same number.
For now, though, the bigger story is already written. After years of criticism tied largely to the Butler fallout, Towns has the one thing that changes everything: a championship, and a father making sure nobody forgets who got there first.
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