When you have a name like Karl-Anthony Towns, it lends itself to nicknames, as The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon knows, but not many can be worse than one given to KAT by his New York Knicks teammate, Josh Hart.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show, Towns was asked to rate various nicknames. At one point, Fallon called him “The Big Purr,” which he gave two thumbs down to. “That's even worse than what Josh Hart said!” Towns said to Fallon.
Fallon liked the nickname, but Towns couldn't get behind it. “I don't know about that one,” he said, “I think Cardi B's gonna be the only one who likes that.”
Right before “The Big Purr,” Fallon suggested “The Big Meow,” which he also disapproved of. He said it sounded like something Hart would have called him.
Knicks' stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart's careers
Towns and Hart are heading into their second and third years with the Knicks, respectively. Before being traded to the Knicks, Towns spent the first nine years of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves. They selected him with the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
During his time with the Timberwolves, Towns was a four-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Third Team. He was also named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2016.
Hart was traded to the Knicks during the 2022-23 NBA season. He was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft. He spent the first few years of his career with the Lakers before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. After a couple of years there, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.
In their first year as teammates, Towns and Hart helped lead the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals. They lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games.
Towns averaged 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in his first year with the Knicks. Hart averaged 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.
