You can say that the New York Knicks have been going to Towns on its competition. In fact, they’ve won 11 straight NBA playoff games ever since they made their seven-foot tall big man Karl-Anthony Towns a bigger playmaking hub for the team. That’s earned the Knicks a spot in the NBA championships against the San Antonio Spurs for the first since 1999, when they took on, you guessed it, the Spurs.
I spoke to Towns recently about how the six-time NBA All-Star manages his pain—something that’s going to be especially important in the Finals stretch of this long playoff grind. At 30-years-of-age, Towns is far from over the hill. Quite the opposite. His 16.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals per game through 14 post-season games so far and his third all-NBA appearance last season are certainly evidence of that.
Towns Will Face A Tall Task In The NBA Finals
But he has already gone through the wear and tear of 11 NBA seasons since being drafted out of the University of Kentucky back in 2015—spending nine years with the Minnesota Timberwolves before moving to the Knicks for the 2024-2025 season. He’s just entered the 30 to 32 year age hmmm range where historically many NBA players begin to experience declines in their physical abilities. How Towns manages the next several years could play a big role in his longevity as a player.
There’s also the Finals consideration as Towns will face the challenging task of having to guard someone significantly younger and—amazingly—significantly taller than him. That’s the Spurs’ 22-year-old superstar center, Victor Wembanyama, who at seven-feet-four-inches tall can literally look down upon nearly all NBA players.
Towns Has Long Had To Manage Pain
One thing that most won’t see is the pain that Towns has to deal with each game. With his moving so fluidly on the court, it’s easy to forget how much pounding his body takes, given his 240 to 250 pound frame and the running back and forth on the court physicality that occurs in an NBA game. But Towns said that the pain is there in different parts of his body, especially the joints.
This is far from a new thing to Towns, though, He’s actually had to manage pain ever since his childhood while growing up in New Jersey when he experienced growing pains. “I don’t remember a big growth spurt,” Towns told me and explained that he grew more steadily over time. “I was always naturally tall. But just naturally, my body was holding up the weight and also the height that I have, obviously it’s not normal to be seven feet.” He started experiencing growing pains when he was “playing a bunch of basketball on top of that playing baseball as well as soccer.” And properly managing pain and getting the appropriate amount of recovery can be an under-appreciated part of playing sports or any physical activity for that matter.
Towns Has Been Using Ibuprofen For A Long Time
Towns’ growing experiences with pain, so to speak, got him introduced to a pain management approach that he continues to employ today—using Advil. The active ingredient in Advil is ibuprofen, which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. Now, there are different brands of ibuprofen, but Towns has specifically used Advil since childhood and helped the makers of the medication promote the Advil Exchange program, which has allowed consumers to scan their medicine cabinets and other places for expired over-the-counter pain medications and get coupons for Advil.
Ibuprofen works by blocking COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, which normally produce PGs. No, not point guards but prostaglandins. PGs are chemicals that are part of your body’s natural defense system, creating a cascade of events that include pain and inflammation but also mobilizes cells and chemicals in your body to defend against and repair any damage.
While ibuprofen is a commonly used over-the-counter NSAID, it still important to be careful when using it because it ain’t candy. Use NSAIDs only as instructions on their packaging indicate and be aware of the risks. The main risk with prolonged use is damaging the protective lining of the stomach, which can lead to stomach ulcers and bleeding. Kidney damage may be a risk as well particularly if you are dehydrated or have some kind of preexisting kidney condition.
Moreover, as a professional athlete, Towns has a different threshold for pain. He mentioned, “My threshold for playing might be higher than most. As long as I can play, I’m going to even though sometimes I play when I probably shouldn’t.” Yeah, this shouldn’t apply to you if the extent of your professional sports activities consists of someone spotting you a hot dog after playing a game. For most people, pain is a sign that you need to rest and not continue whatever happens to be causing the pain. If you don’t know what’s causing your pain, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor.
Towns Emphasized The Value Of Weightlifting
Another thing Towns wanted to get off his chest is the value of weightlifting regularly. “I’m a big lifter,” Town said. “I think lifting has kept me very healthy for a person my size and my height and the way I play. It’s been the lifting that has really been the most important thing for me.” Think of your muscles as not only the Batmans for your body but also the Alfred Pennyworths for the rest of your body. Your muscles offer needed support for your ligaments, bones and joints.
Towns emphasized that he continues to lifts weights throughout the year during both the season and off-season: “It’s all season and more about building. It’s more about max loading and really going for personal records.” He added, “You want to maintain mass and also not do too much stress to the ligaments and joints and your body so, saving that ATP for the games, the practice and the workouts like those on the court.”
KAT Mentioned Saunas, Cold Plunges, Massages, Pilates And A Good Diet
Towns’ pain management approach also runs both hot and cold. He’s been doing “a lot of sauna. I love the sauna. I love the sauna.” He’s taken quite a plunge, too. “I tried the cold plunge experience, the three to five minutes fully submerged,” Towns explained. “I did it two summers ago. I started it for that three weeks in Japan every single day, six or seven in the morning, ready to go. And then do some laps in the pool and it’s great.”
It’s not a stretch to say that Towns does Pilates as well. “Consistent massages, body work, stretching and Pilates” are all part of Towns’ routines. Towns is certainly not the only professional athlete to do Pilates as I have written previously in Forbes about how Pilates is part of the regular routines for a number of NFL players as well. Of course, since Towns has kind of a busy schedule, he did add the words “time and schedule” permitting.
Finally, here’s some more food for thought. Towns mentioned the importance of having a good diet. I have described in Forbes the value of tailoring one’s diet to his or her specific circumstances and needs. “I try to stay low on carbs as much as possible, and then give my body carbs when it strategically needs it during the day,” Towns related. “Just keeping everything organic and kind of time sensitive meals.”
Managing his pain will certainly be key to his KAT-like reflexes and abilities that are uncommon in such a big person. And his capabilities will be key to the Knicks’ prospects of wining their first NBA title since 1973 when they begin taking on the Spurs, which with an average age of 25.1 years is the second youngest team ever in NBA Finals history.
