Karl-Anthony Towns once called the New York Knicks "MY KNICKS" while reacting to Jeremy Lin's exit

A blockbuster trade between the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns shook the basketball world on Friday night. The four-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year reportedly joins a star-studded Knicks roster that now looks like real contenders in the East. While Towns has spent his entire NBA career in Minnesota, the power forward does have close ties to the Big Apple.

Karl-Anthony Towns was born in Edison, New Jersey and raised in the Garden State. The St. Joseph, the high school Towns attended, is located less than 35 miles from Manhattan.

He would have grown up surrounded by Knicks fans and apparently followed the team closely in his younger days. In 2012, he posted a message of support for Knicks guard Jeremy Lin while referring to team as "My Knicks."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! JEREMY LIN IS LEAVING MY KNICKS!! #saddayfortheknicks #Needhimasaknickerbocker," messaged Towns

Lin's rise to fame was one of the headline storylines for New York fans during a difficult period in the team's history. A series of spectacular performances from the 6-foot-3 Taiwanese-American guard provided optimism for a fanbase that had little to cheer about in that era and Towns was apparently on board, following the "Linsanity" story closely.

The news was announced on Friday that the Timberwolves had agreed to trade the forward/center to the Knicks in exchange for guard Donte DiVincenzo, forward Randle and a first-round pick.

Per Spotrac, Towns is owed $220 million over the coming four seasons and the contract is a massive commitment from a New York Knicks organization that is looking to win their first championship in 52 years.

Last season, Towns averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3 assists over 62 games.

Karl-Anthony Towns reacts to his blockbuster Knicks trade with cryptic three character post

Center Karl-Anthony Towns looks on before the game against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center. Photo Credit: Imagn

The Minnesota Timberwolves saw something special in Karl-Anthony Towns and used the first overall pick in 2015 draft to sign the highly touted prospect out of the University of Kentucky.

After 605 games with Minnesota, the front office decided to go in a different direction and trade the All-Star forward. Towns remained loyal to the franchise and never requested a trade over his nine seasons with the organization. That may be the reason for his cryptic message of social media.

Karl-Anthony Towns simply posted three dots on his X account when news of trade broke.

Towns will look forward to a fresh start on the East Coast. The Knicks have retained many of their key players from last season with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby all returning.

The team also traded for forward Mikel Bridges during the offseason. With the addition of Karl-Anthony Towns, New York looks like legitimate contenders alongside the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.