Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns explains not being a Nets fan growing up

The Brooklyn Nets made an interesting decision nearly 15 years ago when they left New Jersey to come to Brooklyn to continue the franchise while establishing their fanbase in New York City. New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, who grew up in New Jersey, used to watch Nets games as a kid, but he explains why he was always a Knicks fan at heart.

“My mom, when she immigrated here, she understood the magnitude of Madison Square Garden. I grew up, obviously, in Jersey,” Towns said when asked why he is a Knicks fan to this day, per Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. Towns is currently giving his best to help the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, but in between games, he has been asked about various aspects of his life, including his off-the-court fandom.

“Obviously it was so much easier for me to get New Jersey Nets tickets and see Kenyon Martin, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd,” Towns continued on his being a Knicks fan. “but my family has always had such respect and love for the Knicks and my father having ties to the Knicks, it was kind of guaranteed I was going to fall into this world of being a Knicks fan growing up.”

Towns, 30, was born in Edison, New Jersey, about 30 miles from New York City, and he spent his entire basketball playing career prior to college playing in the state. He went on to play at the University of Kentucky for his freshman season before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves and playing in Minnesota for the following decade.

The Nets and Towns have never seriously been connected in trade rumors or free-agency speculation over the past decade or so, but it’s clear that he has a history with the organization, even if he prefers to be a Knicks fan. The Nets are hoping to get back to the Finals in the future, just like they did in the early 2000’s when Towns was attending games while developing his craft in New Jersey.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns explains not being a Nets fan growing up