Former Kentucky star suffers knee injury amidst All-Star season in the NBA
Karl-Anthony Towns has a torn meniscus in his left knee and the Minnesota Timberwolves big man will be sidelined indefinitely, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski called it a meniscus injury however, rather than labeling it a tear, and reports indicate Towns is gathering information to determine his next steps.
The former Kentucky big man is having an outstanding season for the Wolves, who are currently the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Towns played in his fourth All-Star Game last month, one of seven Wildcats picked for the game, and he is averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
If Towns is forced to miss the rest of the season, it would be a crushing blow not only for the 28-year-old, but for a Timberwolves team who has serious aspirations of bringing a title to Minnesota. With Towns on the court this season, Minnesota has scored at an above average rate, but when he's been on the bench they are averaging 106.1 points per 100 possessions - the worst rate in the entire league.
Towns has struggled to knock the injury bug throughout his career. He only appeared in 29 games in 2022-23 because of a calf injury, but has managed to play in all but two games this season - but will be out for sure against Indiana on Thursday while they evaluate all his options.
Towns played at Kentucky in 2014-15, averaging 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds for the 'Cats and getting selected first overall in the 2015 NBA draft by Minnesota - where he immediately won Rookie of the Year and has now been to four All-Star games.
