Shaquille O'Neal has delivered blunt advice to Karl-Anthony Towns , urging him to prioritise dominance as the New York Knicks chase an NBA Championship.
The exchange came during a televised discussion where Shaq challenged Towns to elevate his mindset in a market that demands consistent excellence.
With the Knicks pushing for a deep postseason run, expectations in New York are growing.
Photo by Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images
Speaking on NBA on ESPN , O'Neal said: "At the beginning of the game, I said you were playing soft because I've seen you at times when you play great. And what you must understand in New York, you need to be great for you guys to win the championship. It's high aspirations."
He added: "If you guys win the championship, of course, they're gonna talk about [ Jalen ] Brunson, but it's you and your play. You have to be dominant.
"You responded very, very well. You played well, you played in the paint, that's how you should play. You should always play great."
Shaq's message was clear. In a city like New York, star players are expected to lead from the front, particularly alongside Brunson as part of what he described as a "1-2 punch."
The Knicks have built momentum around strong two-way performances, and O'Neal believes Towns must embrace the responsibility that comes with championship ambitions.
Towns replied: "Nah, for sure. But what you said, too, if we win a championship, they can talk about anybody as long as we all get a ring. That's the most important thing. I don't care about none of that."
O'Neal doubled down, stating: "No, but you gotta play great. 1-2 punch, and you're a part of that 1-2 punch."
Towns added: "Hell yeah, but I wanna make sure we all understand that the biggest goal, the main goal here, is to win. It don't matter about who gets the credit or whatever."
O'Neal still concluded wanting Towns to be dominant and get credit if the Knicks end up winning the 2026 NBA Championship.
The exchange highlighted a contrast in focus. O'Neal emphasised individual dominance as the pathway to team success, while Towns reinforced collective achievement over personal recognition.
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