T-Wolves star Towns recounts 'scary' COVID-19 recovery
Karl-Anthony Towns returned to action on Wednesday following a 13-game absence, and the Minnesota Timberwolves star admits he experienced several "scary nights" during his recovery from COVID-19.
"Getting COVID stopped everything ... I am a high-risk case. COVID did not treat me well whatsoever. A lot of scary nights," Towns told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk following the 119-112 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
"A lot of long nights and the vitals weren't good (at times)," the two-time All-Star added.
Towns' mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, and six other family members have died due to complications related to the coronavirus.
"Everyone is different. My underlying conditions did not play in my favor with COVID," Towns added. "I am the most genetically close to my mother... nothing was playing in my favor... mental health is very real. I have dealt with it my whole life, and my mother always knew how to heal me."
Wednesday's game in Minnesota marked Towns' first outing since he announced his positive test result on Jan. 15. The 25-year-old posted 18 points and 10 boards in 31 minutes of action for the 6-19 T-Wolves.
"I was just smiling on the court. I am so proud of myself just getting to this point ... things got very serious. You get to a point where you just don't feel like you will ever see that court again," Towns said.
When asked post-game about the NBA's decision to host an All-Star game in Atlanta on March 7 amid a global pandemic, Towns offered, "I don't personally believe there should be an All-Star game.
"But what do I know? What experience have I had with COVID?," Towns joked.
"I feel very guilty about the treatment I got [that] I [wish was] more widely available to anyone in the world. I feel very guilty... there is such mental strain through all this time. A feeling of guilt because of the resources I have. I wish I could (share) the resources," the 25-year-old added.
The first-overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft was also hospitalized in the offseason after a drunk driver struck him in Los Angeles.