Karl-Anthony Towns Reflects on Grief and Mental Health Journey
NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns shared his ongoing struggle with grief following his mother's death and the importance of mental health support.
New York Knicks player Karl-Anthony Towns spoke about his continued grieving process, which began six years ago after his mother died from COVID-19 complications. Towns shared his experiences on World Mental Health Day, noting that he still feels the impact of his loss.
During the NBA Finals, Towns described experiencing a profound sense of calm before a game, which he connected to childhood memories of playing basketball with his mother. He explained how the game once felt "hollow" after her death and that he questioned his desire to continue playing.
He found solace through conversations with Arnie Kander, a strength and wellness coach. "Just to be heard, to be able to talk to someone you can trust, be able to really unload all that pain onto it and allow them to understand your feelings and articulate your feelings the right way, it makes life much lighter," Towns said. "And I felt myself getting lighter every time we kept talking."
Towns' openness is part of Project Healthy Minds' effort to encourage others to seek mental health care. The nonprofit operates a free online marketplace for mental health services and hosts events like its annual World Mental Health Day festival in New York.
Rich Kleiman, CEO of Boardroom and a member of Project Healthy Minds' board, noted that conversations about mental health are becoming more common among athletes. He referenced DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love, who helped initiate such discussions in the NBA years ago. Kleiman observed that while not all players are comfortable sharing their stories publicly, awareness of mental health's impact is growing. "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," Kleiman told The Associated Press.
Discussions on mental health also featured former NFL player Brandon Marshall and Gotham FC forward Midge Purce. Marshall, who has spoken publicly about his borderline personality disorder diagnosis, discussed how therapy helped him "connect with his brain." Purce shared her evolving understanding of toughness, noting that her teammates taught her it's acceptable to express sadness and that true resilience involves moving forward while acknowledging difficult emotions.
Project Healthy Minds plans to expand its programming, particularly within sports, to reach wider audiences. CEO Phil Schermer believes athletes, who often represent archetypes of strength in American culture, can powerfully model vulnerability and the benefits of discussing emotions. "There need to be more men — and more men who are archetypes of strength — being vulnerable," Schermer said. "Being willing to talk about these things. And role modeling that it can serve as fuel for your greatest success."
Schermer also pointed to the collective experience of the Knicks' championship run as a rare unifying event. According to Rachel Janfaza, founder of the Gen Z research firm The Up and Up, young people have used shared experiences like sports fandom to build real-world community, a trend that schools and employers should support.