Knicks Karl-Anthony Towns, Pivotal In NBA Finals, Talks Pain, Recovery

InnovationHealthcareKnicks Karl-Anthony Towns, Pivotal In NBA Finals, Talks Pain, RecoveryByBruce Y. Lee,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bruce Y. Lee, M.D., MBA, covers health, medicine, wellness and scienceFollow AuthorJun 03, 2026, 07:09am EDTKarl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks, seen here against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, talked about how he manages his pain. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)Getty ImagesYou 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 third all-NBA appearance last season are certainly evidence of that. Towns Will Face A Tall Task In The NBA FinalsBut 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 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 y...