If James Dolan really told the New York Knicks to avoid sex during the playoffs, Karl-Anthony Towns says the message wasn't about romance but sacrifice.
During an appearance at Raising Cane's flagship store in Times Square, where Towns participated in a press event following the Knicks' NBA championship, the All-Star forward spoke to Complex about Dolan encouraging players to abstain from sex and other vices for 10 weeks as the team chased its first title in 53 years.
Reports about Dolan asking his team not to have sex during the Knicks’ playoff run originally surfaced earlier in the postseason, with him urging players to eliminate distractions and focus solely on basketball as New York pursued a championship. According to Towns, the locker room took the message seriously, and the focus paid off.
"For those 10 weeks, it was just sacrificing, you know, all the things that we personally like to do for the betterment of the team and to just be truly locked in," Towns told Complex. "His whole message was just being locked in and not letting any outside distractions come between us and this championship run."
The unusual directive first gained traction after teammate Mikal Bridges jumped on Instagram Live on Monday and, while celebrating the title with tequila in hand, confirmed Dolan told players to make the ultimate sacrifice by locking in and refraining from outside activities such as sex. Bridges laughed while recounting the moment and jokingly called the Knicks owner "a savage."
"I knew the team he was telling that to would hear it," Towns said. "Because so many of us are looking at our first opportunity at an NBA championship, especially after last year when we didn't get to see that there for us."
In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, KAT explained that his fiancée, Jordyn Woods, wasn’t a fan of Dolan’s request.
“I would definitely say when I came home and told my fiancée what he said, she didn’t like to hear that one,” Towns told Sports Illustrated.
After falling behind the Atlanta Hawks 2-1 in the opening round, the Knicks caught fire, winning 13 straight playoff games on their way to the Larry O'Brien Trophy. The run included sweeps of Philadelphia and Cleveland before New York defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to secure the franchise's first championship in 53 years.
Towns was at the center of it all, averaging career-best postseason numbers while helping transform the Knicks into one of the league's most dominant teams.
Now, with a championship banner on the way and a parade looming, the reported rule has become another quirky piece of Knicks lore.
