Karl-Anthony Towns Shows Support For New York Police During NBA Finals

New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns is well aware of the chaos that could unfold in the city over the next few days.

The Knicks have a 2-0 series lead in the NBA Finals in large part because of players like Towns. The six-time All-Star had 21 points and 13 rebounds in a Game 2 win on the road in San Antonio.

"I have been on the other side where you're a young team and you're trying to do a lot to win the game," Towns said. "And I think that for us, we keep leaning on experience and we keep leaning on the word 'execution.'"

While fans in New York are certainly enjoying Towns' energy on both sides of the floor, don't expect to see him out on the streets celebrating once the Finals is over.

Prior to Game 1, Towns was asked if he'll make an appearance on 7th Avenue in the event the Knicks win the NBA Finals.

"Maybe a picture of me," Towns replied. "I pray for the NYPD."

Towns then showed his support for the New York Police Department for protecting Knicks fans during this exciting yet chaotic time.

"I gotta give a shoutout to the NYPD, to all those men and women that are out there who are not only protecting everybody, but on the flip side as well, in my personal experience, who are huge fans of the Knicks and support the Knicks fans in their ability to show how much they love the Knicks and being as lenient as possible without causing chaos," Towns said.

Things took an ugly turn after the Knicks won Game 2.

According to the NYPD, 17 people were arrested and charged outside of the Knicks' watch party at Madison square garden. Some fans reportedly refused orders to leave the area and even climbed on light poles.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed that a police officer was unfortunately assaulted during Friday night's celebration.

"The assault on an NYPD officer outside Madison Square Garden last night was unacceptable," Mayor Mamdani wrote on X. "New Yorkers are rightfully excited about the Knicks' historic Finals run, and we want fans to celebrate this moment together. There is, however, no place for violence, and no tolerance for attacks on police officers. Thank you to the officers who worked to keep fans safe throughout the night, and we wish the injured officer a speedy recovery. The overwhelming majority of New Yorkers celebrated responsibly, and I urge everyone to continue doing so as the Finals return to New York."

Hopefully, Knicks fans can celebrate responsibly if they win Game 3.

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This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 2:47 PM.