Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving defends Karl-Anthony Towns after Knicks’ playoff exit: ‘Leave KAT alone’

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is standing behind New York Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns following the franchise’s exit from the NBA playoffs along with calls for Towns to stop changing his voice during interviews.

“Y’all gotta stop making fun of my brother KAT. I’m done with y’all,” Irving said this month on Twitch. “Stop making fun of my brother KAT. It’s over for that, it’s a f—ing wrap, I’m letting you know that if you repost that shit again or meme him up, I’m attacking you. Not like that physically, GTA (popular video game franchise ‘Grand Theft Auto’), but I’m attacking you.”

Inconsistent during the first two rounds of the postseason, Towns averaged 24.8 points per game during the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers before the Knicks bowed out in Game 6.

Fans have attacked Towns on social media for “changing up his tone,” according to Irving, who followed his colleague’s season closely from afar. Towns was raised in New Jersey and was acquired by the Knicks this season in a trade with Minnesota involving Julius Randle. 

Detractors on social media have posted various interviews from Towns during the season saying he changed his voice following the trade with the Timberwolves.

“Y’all gotta leave KAT alone because y’all don’t know what it’s like to grow up in Jersey and have all of these cultures that you’re a part of, trust me on that,” said Irving, a fellow N.J. native. “Jersey is literally 130 miles long, it’s (a) very, very small state … but leave him alone. Because he’s Dominican, he’s Black, he grew up in a certain area in Jersey, just like me, and you gotta survive out here. 

“You got many different demographics of people, so you gotta survive out here. I don’t agree all the time when he be changing up his tone sometimes, I don’t always agree and all that shit, that shit be funny, but on a serious note, he is a man, he is my brother and I protect him all the time.”

Timberwolves president Tim Connelly said this month he gets emotional watching Towns play for the Knicks.

“I think it was a win-win,” Connelly said of the midseason blockbuster trade. “It’s funny, I texted with KAT I probably get more emotional watching their games than our games, because KAT had such a great playoffs and great year in New York. I’m not a believer in there’s one winner and 29 losers, I think too often that’s a narrative that we all run with.”