"It strikes a different emotion" - Karl-Anthony Towns opens up about living up to late mother's legacy playing for New York Knicks

The New York Knicks' decision to trade for Karl-Anthony Towns propelled them in the pre-season rankings. They went from being one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference to a legitimate NBA championship contender, at least on paper.

However, it meant more for him. The former No. 1 pick, who had spent his entire career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, is now playing closer to home. More importantly, he's actually playing in the place his late mother cherished when he was growing up.

Following the win over the Milwaukee Bucks, the New Jersey native opened up about how he's embraced his Dominican heritage and how much it would've meant for his mother to see him play at Madison Square Garden:

“My mom’s family … the Dominicans are very excited,” Towns told The Athletic. “My dad, my mom, immigrating over here from the Dominican Republic, Madison Square Garden, to her, was the Mecca. And to our family, it’s always been the Mecca. To be able to play in a place that was so revered by her. Obviously, it strikes a different emotion.”

Towns lost his mother during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he's been quite vocal about that grieving process and how much she meant to him. Clearly, that's an entirely new layer of motivation for him in this new chapter of his career.

Karl-Anthony Towns is thriving but the Knicks need to be better

Karl-Anthony Towns has been splendid in his reunion with Tom Thibodeau. Through eight games, he's averaged 24.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.5 three-pointers per game on 52/55/90 shooting splits.

That kind of efficiency could be unsustainable for most players, but Towns is a 40% shooter from beyond the arc and 83% from the charity stripe, so he could keep that going for the entire season.

His team, however, needs to find more consistency. The Knicks are just 4-4 and their once-tough defense hasn't always been on full display here. They currently rank 17th in defensive rating (114.7), even after trading for another elite defender like Mikal Bridges.

Still, there are always growing pains and a learning curve when a team adds new faces and they have two new starters. Also, they should be able to get back to their old dominant defensive ways once Mitchell Robinson comes back from injury. In the meantime, it'll be up to Karl-Anthony Towns to anchor the paint and clean the glass.