New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns opened up about his ongoing grief following his mother's death during a World Mental Health Day event in New York, emphasizing the importance of mental health support for athletes.
New York Knicks champion Karl-Anthony Towns marked World Mental Health Day on Saturday by sharing his ongoing emotional journey following the death of his mother, who passed away from complications related to COVID-19 six years ago. Speaking at an event hosted by the nonprofit Project Healthy Minds, Towns reflected on how the loss initially made basketball feel "hollow" and left him questioning whether he wanted to continue playing the game he loved.
Despite the personal turmoil, Towns found a sense of peace during this year's NBA Finals. He described feeling a "very big calm" wash over him as he entered the first game, a moment that transported him back to amateur youth games where he could see his mother in the small crowds. "I felt like it was kinda just me, her and the game of basketball," Towns told the audience. He described the court as a canvas where he could "paint a beautiful picture" for his mother, expressing his love for the sport and the world.
Towns credited strength and wellness coach Arnie Kander with helping him navigate his grief. He explained that being heard and able to unload pain to a trusted individual made life "much lighter." "I felt myself getting lighter every time we kept talking," he said. This openness comes just 10 days before the Knicks' banner-raising celebration for their recent championship title.
Rich Kleiman, CEO of Boardroom and a new member of the Project Healthy Minds board, joined Towns on the panel. Kleiman noted that while mental health remains a sensitive topic in locker rooms, conversations around it are becoming more prevalent among athletes. He cited the impact of earlier disclosures by NBA stars like DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love, which helped normalize discussions about depression and anxiety in professional sports.
Project Healthy Minds, a tech nonprofit that runs a free online marketplace for mental health services, hopes Towns' example will inspire other athletes to seek care. The organization's annual World Mental Health Day festival in New York features an all-day schedule of activities, including yoga, art therapy, and speaker panels, aiming to destigmatize mental health challenges in high-performance environments.