NEW YORK – Just 10 days before the New York Knicks are set to raise their championship banner, All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns is reflecting on a different kind of milestone. Marking World Mental Health Day, the newly minted NBA champion opened up about the ongoing, six-year journey of grief that has shaped him both as a player and a person following the loss of his mother to COVID-19 complications.
Despite his professional success, which included a trade from Minnesota and a triumphant title run with his childhood team, Towns admits that he remains in a period of mourning. Speaking at an event hosted by the nonprofit Project Healthy Minds, Towns recalled entering the NBA Finals with a “very big calm,” a feeling that transported him back to his youth, where the noise of the arena faded into a private connection between him and his mother.
“I felt like it was kinda just me, her and the game of basketball,” Towns told the audience. “I was able to be like an artist out there. I was able to have my paintbrush and have a canvas with the court. I was able to just paint a beautiful picture for her about the love I have for the game.”
That love had once been on the verge of fading. Following his mother’s death, Towns admitted that basketball “felt hollow,” leaving him questioning his future in the sport. He credits his recovery to the support of wellness coach Arnie Kander, noting that the ability to articulate his pain aloud made his life feel “lighter.”
Towns’ openness reflects a growing movement within professional sports to destigmatize mental health. The shift began roughly eight years ago when players like DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love first spoke publicly about depression and anxiety. Today, those conversations are becoming more common, though experts note that the locker room remains a complex environment for such vulnerability.
“They just carry so much weight,” said Rich Kleiman, CEO of Boardroom and a member of the Project Healthy Minds board. “I think it says a lot that Karl Towns is feeling comfortable enough right before the season starts to be able to be so open about it.”
The event also featured former NFL star Brandon Marshall, who has long been a vocal advocate for mental health, and Gotham FC’s Midge Purce, who discussed redefining “toughness” to include emotional expression. Project Healthy Minds plans to leverage these athletic voices to reach a broader audience, emphasizing that vulnerability is not a sign of weakness, but a component of true strength.
“There need to be more men — and more men who are archetypes of strength — being vulnerable,” said Project Healthy Minds CEO Phil Schermer. “Being willing to talk about these things. And role modeling that it can serve as fuel for your greatest success.”
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