The birth certificate may read New Jersey, but the origin story of Karl-Anthony Towns, the seven-foot star for the New York Knicks, extends to New York City. Growing up in nearby Piscataway, N.J., Mr. Towns and his parents would routinely make the 37-mile commute to the city to experience parks, museums, New York Yankees games, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and, of course, to watch the Knicks — the favorite team of his mother, Jacqueline Cruz — play at Madison Square Garden. “To now be playing in that kind of place is pretty cool, to see life coming in a full circle,” Mr. Towns, who was traded to New York from the Minnesota Timberwolves in October, said in a recent phone interview.

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Persons: Karl, Anthony Towns, Jacqueline Cruz —, “ Organizations: New York Knicks, , New York Yankees, Knicks, Madison, Minnesota Timberwolves Locations: New Jersey, New York City, Piscataway, N.J, Towns, ,, ., New York