The New York Knicks asked their players to make sacrifices during their historic postseason run. Victories often emerge from blood, sweat, and sacrifice, and the New York team expected nothing less after they instructed their players to stay away from romantic distractions for ten weeks! But Karl-Anthony Towns may not have been one of the players who followed that rule.

His fiancée Jordyn Woods suggested that the star center didn’t really stay committed to the particular rule. Hear it from her directly.

“Some guys can’t lock in,” Woods joked on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle. 

“Supposedly, our owner James Dolan told the guys [about the rule], but I think it was just because he really wanted the team to win. He wanted them to lock in.”

Here’s the thing: The unusual locker room information first surfaced following their first championship in 53 years. NBA insider and SNY’s reporter Ian Begley mentioned that owner James Dolan jokingly urged his players to abstain, among other sacrifices, for 10 weeks.

“They were a little surprised, but the words hit,” a source told SNY earlier this month.

“For those 10 weeks, it was just sacrificing all the things that we personally like to do for the betterment of the team and to just be truly locked in,” Towns said. “His whole message was just being locked in and not letting any outside distractions come between us and this championship run.”

Towns added that the message resonated with everyone as they hunted for their first ring.

Towns delivered one of the strongest postseason runs of his career. In the 19-game stretch, he emerged as the dominant force near the paint, serving as a crucial second option next to Jalen Brunson.

Following Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges also addressed the abstinence rule

While Woods’ comments brought the story back into the spotlight, the unusual playoff rule first surfaced right after the championship. 

SNY’s Ian Begley reported that both Mike Brown and James Dolan addressed the team ahead of the postseason individually. While Brown wanted to clear the air and have a clean slate, Dolan wanted to keep the boys locked. In the report, Begley stated that Dolan jokingly urged the players to avoid fornication. 

At the time, everyone treated it as yet another humorous locker room anecdote.

However, Mikal Bridges later confirmed the message while celebrating the Knicks’ title win in his own fashion. He went on an Instagram live stream and showed the emotional and intoxicated side of himself. Most importantly, he recalled Dolan’s locker room words.

“He said, ‘10 weeks, don’t have any s*x, lock in,” Bridges mentioned.

Whether players followed the advice or not, the Knicks ultimately completed the mission. They ended the franchise’s 53-year curse and capped off the celebration at the Canyon of Heroes.

For Woods and Karl-Anthony Towns, the viral interview added another memorable moment to their relationship. The longtime couple, who dated for six years, got engaged in December 2025. And now, they look to tie the knot in the near future.