Knicks title journey an emotional time for Karl-Anthony Towns' proud dad

Jerry Carino, Asbury Park Press Wed, June 17, 2026 at 4:29 PM UTC

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There was a moment, right after Karl-Anthony Towns led the New York Knicks to victory in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, that he bear-hugged his father at midcourt, burying his head into his dad's shoulder.

It was captured on live television right after Karl-Anthony, in an on-court interview, invoked the spirit of his mother Jacqueline, who died in 2020 of complications from Covid-19.

It brought tears to the eyes of a lot of folks, including the recipient of the hug, Karl Towns Sr.

"I was crying because his mom was his best friend," the elder Karl said by phone Wednesday. "She was his everything, so to see him use his mom as inspiration, knowing she's there with him every minute, it brings tears to your eyes. Nobody wants to lose a parent, but he knows in his heart she's with him, she'll make sure he's good. As a dad, that's important."

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 05: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks celebrates with his father Karl Towns Sr. after the 105-104 victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 05, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.

The Knicks winning their first NBA title in 53 years, with Karl-Anthony holding his own at center against 7-foot-4 San Antonio superstar Victor Wembanyama, was the perfect Father's Day gift for Karl Sr., who spent nearly two decades as a high school teacher and basketball coach at Piscataway Vo-Tech, with "Little Karl" often by his side on the sidelines.

"It's surreal, to see my son hold the Larry O'Brien Trophy after all the things he went through," said Karl Sr., who survived his own 2020 bout with Covid that landed him in the hospital. "I can't express how I feel as a dad. As a parent you want to see good things happen for your kid. To see him where he is now – on top of the world – this is one of the biggest moments of my life."

2011: Karl-Anthony Towns talks with his mother Jacqueline Cruz-Towns and father Karl Towns Sr.

Karl Towns Sr. was a fine basketball player in his own right, setting rebounding records at Monmouth University before raising his family in Piscataway. He's been a regular presence at Karl-Anthony's games for many years, while his son was at St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, the University of Kentucky, and then throughout his NBA career.

There have been many proud dad moments throughout that stretch, but none bigger than the sequence in the final second of Game 4.

With the Knicks clinging to a one-point lead after rallying from 29 points and the Spurs inbounding, Karl-Anthony motioned to two nearby fans who had courtside seats at Madison Square Garden to slide over and crowd inbounder Dylan Harper. The ploy worked – Harper had a man open under the Knicks' basket, but the pass was errant as Karl-Anthony got a fingertip on it.

It was the brain of a coach's son on full display.

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"When he told those guys to move over and then he tipped that ball to save the game, I loved it because he never showed any panic," Karl Sr. said. "Having those guys move over, it's something a lot of people would never have thought of, but his basketball IQ is so high, he knew what had to be done."

Point guard Jalen Brunson won the well-deserved Finals MVP, but Karl-Anthony's performance against Wembanyama silenced a lot of doubters. Of course, Karl Sr. was never among them.

"He showed toughness against Victor Wembanyama when all the talk was, 'He can't stop him,'" Karl Sr. said. "I didn't have any doubt my son could hold his own. When you have experience, when you're been around the corner – you know what you have to do."

Of their battles in the paint, he added, "There's a difference between grown-man weight and young-man weight."

When asked what Jacqueline would think of everything that transpired the past few weeks, Karl Sr. said, "She would be ecstatic because she's from New York, she was a lifelong Knicks fan, and this was a dream of hers," he said.

That joy goes beyond the results on the court. Off the court, Karl-Anthony has been deeply involved in community outreach and is known as one of the NBA's most approachable stars.

"He's just being Karl," his dad said. "He wouldn't handle this any other way but like a true professional. He's a role model for kids."

His parents certainly had a big hand in that. What advice would Karl Sr. pass along to the father or mother of a prodigious young athlete?

"Don't dictate your kid's future – let the kid be a kid and stay the course," he said. "He stayed on the same street, didn't detour, didn't get off the road, and now he's a champion."

Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks celebrates with his father Karl Towns Sr. after the 105-104 victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Two of the 2026 NBA Finals

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Karl Towns Sr., proud dad of Karl-Anthony Towns: NBA title an emotional time

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