Karl-Anthony Towns, the New York Knicks’ 30-year-old center, is engaged to Jordyn Woods, a 28-year-old model and entrepreneur. The couple announced their engagement on Christmas Day 2025, capping nearly six years of public romance that began in May 2020 after years of friendship.
Towns and Woods met through mutual friends years before their relationship turned romantic. They have credited that years-long friendship with strengthening their bond. In 2021, Towns explained that “Me and Jordyn met years ago knowing common people and just became friends,” and that the pandemic gave them time to deepen their connection. Woods herself has said they “were really good friends before we started dating, and Covid gave us that free time in our life to really get to know each other.”
The timing of their romance carries deep meaning. Towns’ mother, Jacqueline, died from COVID-19 in April 2020, just weeks after he and Woods began dating. Towns has spoken openly about how Woods became a pillar of support during that grief. “Jordyn Woods gave me a lot of strength and courage when I didn’t know if I would have it,” Towns said, according to reporting from People and other outlets covering the Finals.
Woods, 28, is a model and entrepreneur who has become a fixture on the sidelines during the Knicks’ playoff run. She has drawn attention for her courtside fashion throughout the 2026 NBA Finals, including wearing a custom Knicks cowboy hat and other team-coordinated outfits. A source close to the couple told Yahoo Entertainment that Woods has been a supportive presence while planning her dream wedding, with the insider saying “She’s shining.”
Towns, who was drafted first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2015 and played there for nine seasons, joined the Knicks and has emerged as a Finals MVP contender. According to NBA.com’s Finals MVP Ladder released earlier this week, Towns tops the list after the Knicks took a 2-0 lead in the series. His efficient offense and defense against Victor Wembanyama have drawn praise from analysts and former players, with Charles Barkley calling him the Finals MVP on recent broadcasts.
The couple’s engagement came after they purchased a $14 million Los Angeles home together in 2024, according to Realtor.com. They have built their relationship around shared values of partnership and growth, and both have experienced profound loss—Woods lost her father, and Towns lost his mother and several other family members to COVID-19. That shared understanding of grief has become central to their story.
Sources
- People.com — Engagement announcement details, Woods’ age and role, couple’s relationship timeline, and Towns’ mother’s death
- Page Six — How the couple supports each other through grief, engagement details
- ESPN — Engagement date (December 25, 2025), Towns’ relationship timeline with Woods since 2020
- NBA.com — Finals MVP Ladder with Towns at the top
- Sports Illustrated — Woods’ courtside fashion during Finals
- Us Weekly — Relationship timeline, how they met through mutual friends
- Town & Country — Engagement details and relationship timeline
- Realtor.com — $14 million home purchase details
- Yahoo Entertainment — Source quote about Woods’ wedding planning
- The Guardian — Engagement announcement with rooftop proposal details
