Gilbert Arenas rejects Karl-Anthony Towns’ “soft” narrative
Gilbert Arenas came to the defense of New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns amid recent criticism.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal called Towns soft during a postgame interview following the Knicks’ win over the Houston Rockets, telling him he played ‘soft’ early in the game.
Arenas defended Towns during Sunday’s episode of The Gilbert Arenas Show. He noticed how The star big man embraced physicalityespecially his activity in the post and returning presence this season.
“When you look at KAT, he just runs around and says things in interviews. You think that’s the way he plays the game. If you really look at the game, he plays a rough style of basketball. He plays. He just bang, bang, spin, catch you. But he just has a shot. And there are times when if he has one, he has a big shot on him. He shoots,” Arenas said at 33:12.
“But he’s going to sit there, too much for a big guy, but he’s smart enough to know, so yeah, I’ve got a little guy on me. If I try to hit first, he’s going to flop, it’s an offensive foul. Well, I can just shoot over him. So I can’t say he’s playing the game wrong or right. He’s playing it in the moment he’s playing it.”
What awaits Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks
It’s clear that Gilbert Arenas has noticed a change in Karl-Anthony Towns’ style of play. The Knicks star adds more physicality to his game while showing off his elite shooting talent, standing as one of the best big men in the game.
Towns continues to shine in his 11th season in the league, his second with the Knicks. During 53 appearances, he averaged 19.9 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
New York has a 37-21 record on the season, holding third place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors while trailing the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons.
After Sunday’s win over the Chicago Bulls, the Knicks will be looking forward to their next matchup. They remain on the road as they face the Cavaliers on February 24th at 7:30pm ET.
2026-02-23 03:52:00
