Source (Free article by Jon Krawczynski): https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7618092/2026/09/30/karl-anthony-towns-nba-championship-work-ethic/?unlocked_article_code=1.FFE.i2mv.JECpWPgva7jn&source=emp_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share

Some more interesting quotes:

Self Validation:

“The ability to celebrate and rejoice and have that joy of a kid without being judged,” Towns told The Athletic. “And also just the freedom of being able to really talk your s— for real, like being able to say you’re the champion and no one being like, well, this or that, whatever. - Karl-Anthony Towns

“When you are young, you’re looking at a championship as a sense of accomplishment,” Towns said. “I think for me, in that moment winning it, it felt very freeing because a lot of the questions I know people had on me were put to rest.” - Karl-Anthony Towns

“My skill, my experience and my personal life all came together at the right moment, at the top, top, top of the game. There’s a lot of euphoria in the Towns family right now.” - Karl-Anthony Towns

Jimmy Butler:

“When there were eight seconds to go in the game, I started crying because my emotions caught up to me,” he said. “As 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.” - Karl Towns Sr.

“I just was never going to change who I was, even when the world was asking me to change who I was, so I could be the character in their story, I just was going to continue to be me.” - Karl-Anthony Towns

“I think people were projecting their internal insecurities. When you’re a nice person and people feel like you’re not going to say anything back, they feel entitled to say something about you.” - Jordyn Woods

“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.” - Karl Towns Sr.

“Now the Jimmy narrative’s very different. But it only took, what, almost a decade?” - Jordyn Woods

“I think mental fortitude and mental strength doesn’t need to come with a frown on it. You can still smile and have an amazing amount of mental strength and have that Mamba Mentality.” - Karl-Anthony Towns

Andrew Wiggins:

“I’m just happy that those back-to-back Rookies of the Year in Minnesota grew into the men that people asked us to be, which was world champions,” Towns said of himself and Wiggins. “And we found a way to get it done in our own ways.” - Karl-Anthony Towns

Giannis Trade Rumors

“I honestly stopped going to the games for a little while. It was turning dark.” - Jordyn Woods

We were on Zillow looking at Milwaukee,” Towns said, smiling and mimicking his conversations with Jordyn about checking out real estate. “Like, ‘Hey, babe, I went around town, and it’s not that bad. This could be a good spot right here.’” - Karl-Anthony Towns

Knicks Playoff Run:

“Whatever was needed, I was willing to do at the highest level and be a star in my role. I think, in my career, I’ve always talked about my versatility, and it took that word versatility to get this championship.” - Karl-Anthony Towns

“Everybody that tried to doubt him, I don’t hear them. Why aren’t you on the internet saying s— now?” - Karl Towns Sr.