The Knicks spent the whole summer as champions. Then a video of Karl-Anthony Towns on his honeymoon in Africa showed up online, and people noticed he looked a lot smaller.
That is a big deal, because Towns is the Knicks’ starting center and their title defense begins Oct. 20 against the 76ers. At media day, he finally explained it.
Karl-Anthony Towns Weight Loss: What He Said at Knicks Media Day
Towns had lost weight, and he was asked about it at media day. SNY Knicks posted his answer on X. Here is what he said:
“I don’t know, I thought my wife thought I looked good, so I thought I was looking alright. I just, in the offseason I always lose a lot of the weight, you know, I put on the weight for the season. It’s just good for my body, good for my knees, you know, keeps me young and I just kind of, I always use the offseason as a time to give my body a chance to recover, rest, and just like every other offseason I’ve done that again.”
Karl-Anthony Towns talks about his offseason weight loss and why it’s good for his body:
So the weight loss was on purpose, and Towns sees it as a way to protect his body. He also pointed to his knees. For a seven-footer who turns 31 in November, that is not a small thing.
There is no sign of a health problem behind it. Nothing reported ties the change to an injury, so it looks like a choice he made himself.
Will Karl-Anthony Towns’ Weight Loss Hurt the Knicks in the Paint?
Here is why that matters. Mitchell Robinson left in free agency, and 15-year veteran Andre Drummond joined the mix. Even so, Towns is still expected to play most of the center minutes, so the paint runs through him.
That is where a lighter Towns gets tricky. He grabbed 11.9 rebounds a game last season, and big centers like Nikola Jokic or Ivica Zubac lean on you all night. Less weight could mean losing some of those battles under the rim.
Still, there is a upside for it. Towns has never won with size alone. His shot, his passing and his feet are what make him special, and a leaner body should help him keep up with a league that keeps getting faster.
Towns has explained why he did it, though not how much he lost. The first real look comes when the season opens Oct. 20 against the 76ers, and we see if a lighter Towns can still hold the paint.
Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns Speaks Out After His Dramatic Weight Loss Raises Questions