Karl‑Anthony Towns Opens Up About Grief, Healing and the Power of Speaking Up

When the Knicks lifted their first championship banner in decades, the celebration felt like a bright flash of joy for a city still healing from the pandemic. Yet, for Karl‑Anthony Towns, the moment was also a quiet reminder that the ache of losing his mother to COVID‑19 in 2020 hasn’t faded.

Just ten days before the banner‑raising, Towns marked World Mental Health Day by sitting on a modest stage at Project Healthy Minds’ New York‑based festival. He wasn’t there to hype a victory; he was there to let his voice tremble a little, to let the audience hear how grief can linger like a low‑frequency hum even after a championship ring glints on your finger.

"I still feel that big, steady calm that washes over me when I step onto the court," Towns said, eyes drifting to the crowd. "It takes me back to those tiny gym games as a kid, where I could spot my mom in the bleachers no matter where I was. It was just me, her, and the ball. I tried to paint a picture for her with every dribble, every shot—like an artist with a brush and a canvas made of hardwood."

He admitted that, for a while after his mother’s death, basketball felt hollow. "I didn’t know if I even wanted to play anymore," Towns confessed, a hint of a smile cracking through the sadness. "The game lost its color. It was like trying to draw with a broken pencil."

What helped him piece the pencil back together? A steady hand from a strength‑and‑wellness coach named Arnie Kander. Towns described those sessions as “unloading a heavy backpack,” allowing him to articulate feelings that had been stuck for years.

"Just being heard, having someone you trust listen and help you name the pain—it makes life feel a lot lighter," he explained. "Every conversation with Arnie felt like I was shedding a layer of weight."

Project Healthy Minds, the nonprofit that hosted the event, hopes Towns’s story will spark others to seek help. The organization runs a free online marketplace where people can find therapists, psychiatrists, support groups and more. Their World Mental Health Day festival featured yoga, art therapy, and a lineup of speakers who each added a different hue to the day’s tapestry.

On the panel with Towns was Rich Kleiman, CEO of Boardroom and longtime manager of Kevin Durant. Kleiman noted that athletes are finally feeling safer sharing their mental‑health battles. He pointed to DeMar DeRozan’s tweet about depression and Kevin Love’s essay on anxiety as early sparks that have grown into a broader conversation.

“Most players still keep that stuff locked away in the locker room,” Kleiman said. “But seeing Karl speak so openly right before the season starts says a lot about how the culture is shifting.”

Another conversation that afternoon featured former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall—who publicly disclosed his borderline personality disorder in 2011—and Gotham FC forward Midge Purce. Marshall described how taking therapy sessions in a cafeteria helped normalize the practice for teammates, while Purce talked about redefining “toughness” as allowing yourself to feel everything, then using that emotional bandwidth to keep moving forward.

The festival wrapped up with a glimpse of Project Healthy Minds’ future plans. By partnering with athletes, Broadway shows like “Every Brilliant Thing,” and research firms that study Gen Z, the nonprofit hopes to turn high‑profile moments—like the Knicks’ title run—into entry points for community‑wide mental‑health conversations.

CEO Phil Schermer summed it up succinctly: "When men who are seen as the epitome of strength show vulnerability, it tells the world that talking about emotions is actually a form of strength. That message can fuel success, both on and off the court."