Karl-Anthony Towns lost 50 pounds after contracting COVID-19

Following his one season with the Kentucky Wildcats, Karl-Anthony Towns entered the NBA Draft as the most sought-after prospect. He went No. 1 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft and has since lived up to those expectations.

Towns has nothing left to prove on the court. He’s been able to do it all — from defending to shooting to making plays at the highest level. These last few seasons, Towns has taken his game to a new level, and for the first many of his career, he’s had his mom by his side to cheer him on.

Sadly, Towns last his mother, Jacqueline Towns, to COVID-19. Other members of his family passed away due to the virus, which undoubtedly had to impact him mentally.

Towns now has had his own drastic run-in with the virus that has captured the lives of hundreds of thousands in America alone.

Per Michael Pina, an NBA reporter for Sports Illustrated, Towns lost 50 pounds after getting the virus, which could play a major role in his performance this coming season. Towns is listed at 248 pounds.

Pina added that Towns considered giving up basketball. The 25-year-old has had to deal with so much over the past year that these struggles shouldn’t come as any surprise, but it’s still very heartbreaking to hear.

It’s looking like Towns will be with the Minnesota Timberwolves to start the season, and hopefully, his community in Minneapolis can rally around the young center as he looks to put his focus back on the game he loves.

Towns has averaged a double-double in all six of his seasons in the league. He’s developed into one of the league’s best centers. He would’ve been missed if he decided to take a break, but everyone should be supportive of such a move if it happened.