In his first public appearance since the hiring of new head coach Mike Brown, New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns opened up about a pivotal offseason moment. Towns had a two-hour dinner with Brown in Las Vegas, setting the tone for the upcoming Knicks season.

Appearing on 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony, Towns emphasized the importance of the meeting, saying it was the first real conversation between the two.

“We have a chance to win a championship and that’s only going to happen if everyone’s connected,” Towns said.

Towns went on to describe the dinner as an opportunity to gain insight into Brown’s philosophy on basketball, practices, and team culture. That level of communication is significant for a Knicks team looking to take the next step after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in over two decades.

Following their playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers, New York stunned many by firing Tom Thibodeau and bringing in the two-time Coach of the Year. Brown, who has a proven track record of building systems around playmaking bigs like Draymond Green and Domantas Sabonis, now takes over a roster led by Towns and All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson.

Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks could reach a new level under Mike Brown

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Knicks head coach Mike Brown looks on during the second quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden
John Jones-Imagn Images

Towns, who averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds while shooting 42% from three last season, could see his role evolve under Brown. While he’s never been the primary playmaker, Brown may look to involve him more from the elbow or high post, helping keep Towns mentally engaged and easing the burden on Brunson.

With offseason additions like Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele bolstering a once-thin bench, and elite role players like OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart rounding out the rotation, expectations in New York are higher than ever.

The key, as Towns said, will be chemistry.

” [When] you have locker rooms that are that connected, you can’t be bothered by any of the outside noise and stuff, that’s when you have a championship team,” Towns shared. “Because at the end of the day, people will talk. [But] as long as everyone in that locker room believes in each other and this goal we have, ain’t none of that sh*t matters on the outside.”

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