Karl-Anthony Towns Pushes Back on ESPN Report

Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t waste time shooting down questions about an alleged offseason knee procedure during New York Knicks media day.

When Stefan Bondy of the New York Post asked him about “a knee procedure” reported by ESPN, KAT immediately fired back.

“No I did not have a knee — where are you hearing this? You came on media day to come and put that out there?” Towns said.

Bondy responded, “I thought ESPN reported it.”

Towns then asked, “Who did that, Centel?” before Bondy admitted, “Alright my bad.”

“Who did that, Centel?” 🤣

According to Karl-Anthony Town, don’t believe any offseason procedure rumors. pic.twitter.com/HbGwge0GkC

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) September 23, 2025

The reference was to NBA Centel, a notorious fake account on X that has fooled plenty of fans and reporters alike.

The full exchange later showed Bondy pulling up the ESPN report on his phone, leading Towns to smile and add, “That don’t even say procedures!” before walking away.

The ESPN article in question was published by Ramona Shelburne on June 4 under the headline, “Sources: Karl-Anthony Towns treated for knee, finger injuries.” The lede read that KAT underwent “treatment” for a knee injury sustained in the playoffs, but further down it stated:

“After the Knicks’ season ended with Saturday’s Game 6 loss to the Pacers, Towns had the injuries reexamined and chose to immediately have procedures so he would have the most time possible to recover before next season, sources said,” said ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.

Shelburne has not commented on the situation publicly.

The dispute largely comes down to wording. In NBA circles, a “procedure” can mean anything from a cortisone injection to surgery. “Treatment,” on the other hand, can be as minor as rehab or massage. ESPN’s choice of language left room for confusion, and it clearly struck a nerve with Towns.

Whether or not anything was actually performed on his knee, neither Towns nor the Knicks addressed the report when it first surfaced in June. That left Bondy within his rights to bring it up months later, and Towns made his position crystal clear.