Jordyn Woods Stepped Away from Knicks Games Due to Fan Criticism of Karl-Anthony Towns
Woods stated the atmosphere became 'dark' during a difficult stretch for the team, leading to her temporary absence from games.
Jordyn Woods, wife of Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, revealed that she temporarily stopped attending his games due to the intensity of fan criticism directed at him. Woods described the environment as having turned "dark" during a period when Towns faced jeers and boos from the New York fanbase.
During a joint interview with The Athletic, Woods and Towns, who recently married after the Knicks' NBA championship win, reflected on a challenging 2-9 stretch the team experienced in January. This period coincided with trade rumors linking Towns to other teams, including discussions about a potential move to Milwaukee.
"We were on Zillow looking at Milwaukee," Towns recounted in the interview, illustrating the seriousness of the trade speculation. "Like, ‘Hey, babe, I went around town, and it’s not that bad. This could be a good spot right here.'"
Despite the external pressure and trade rumors, Towns played a crucial role in the Knicks' subsequent turnaround. The team went on to achieve a 16-3 record in the playoffs, ultimately securing the 2026 NBA title by defeating the Spurs. According to The Athletic, Towns' plus-minus rating during the playoffs was the best recorded since the statistic began being officially tracked 20 years prior.
Woods expressed that the team's championship victory served as validation. "It just proves that you’re in the right place and doing the right thing," she said. "It silences a lot of those haters that we were talking about. A lot of these people who didn’t believe now can’t say anything."
Woods was present at the Knicks' championship parade in New York on June 18. Towns, who has two years and nearly $120 million remaining on his contract, is currently in negotiations for an extension.
Towns also shared insights into how his nine seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2015-2024) prepared him for the intense media scrutiny in a large market like New York. "We talk about (playing in a) small market as a bad thing," Towns said. "It was a great thing for me because it protected me from having to be a perfect form of myself for the big media markets and stuff. I was able to really grow and hone myself as a person and fine-tune the things that I needed to so when I got (to New York), which wasn’t part of my plan, I was truly the best version of myself."
The Knicks are set to begin their regular season against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 20, which will also be the night their championship banner will be unveiled at Madison Square Garden.