"There was more drastic things to worry about than basketball at that moment" - Former No. 1 overall pick opens up on his battle with non-COVID-related illness in NBA offseason
NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns' journey has been filled with many challenges on and off the court. In an interview with The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, Towns mentioned that his battle with a non-COVID related illness was one of his toughest to date. He said:
"There was more drastic things to worry about than basketball at that moment. I wasn’t too worried about basketball for a while.
"But I miss the game, I love the game. I miss these guys."
Karl-Anthony Towns when he was in the hospital: "There was more drastic things to worry about than basketball at that moment. I wasn’t too worried about basketball for a while. But I miss the game, I love the game. I miss these guys."
The 6-foot-11 center has been the leader of the Minnesota Timberwolves since his arrival in the NBA. As an offensive-minded center, Towns knows what it's like to be in a battle in the paint. Last season, he was part of the roster that led the Wolves to the playoffs.
Towns recently opened up about not being able to walk due to an illness. The former number one overall pick didn't go into detail as to what kind of illness he was dealing with. However, it took a toll on his weight. He was around 250 pounds when he came into the league and it has dropped to 231 pounds. Towns mentioned that he couldn't walk properly due to illness.
Towns is slowly recovering from the illness and is glad that he's back on the court again.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert are the NBA's new twin towers
Over the summer, the Minnesota Timberwolves made massive changes to their roster. The team was in the news during the offseason because of their blockbuster trade to acquire Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz. In exchange, the front office gave up Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley and Walker Kessler with four future first-round picks.
IT’S OFFICIAL.
welcome to the squad, @rudygobert27 🐺 https://t.co/8SgOos2CUr
It was a massive gamble for the team to acquire such a player. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year will boost the team's interior defense, something which is not KAT's strength. With Gobert on the floor, Towns will have more time to focus as a scorer. His ability to stretch the defense with his shooting might see an increase this 2022-23 NBA season.
The Wolves lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs last season. However, after adding Gobert, the team looks much more competitive and will be hoping to make a deep playoff run.
The new Twin Towers in Minnesota will be a duo that everyone will be watching closely.