New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns has revealed he missed Tuesday’s loss to the visiting Golden State Warriors due to the death of a close family friend named Sarah Holtzman.

Towns made the revelation to reporters as he rejoined the team on Thursday in Los Angeles ahead of a matchup with the Lakers. New York would ultimately lose in overtime, 113-109. 

Holtzman died after a battle with breast cancer, according to an online obituary. Towns’ girlfriend Jordyn Woods posted ‘f*** cancer’ on X earlier in the week, prompting some Knicks fans to fear it was the absent Towns who was battling the disease.

Holtzman’s death follows a string of tragedies for Towns, who lost his mother and six other family members to COVID-related illnesses over the last few years.

‘I want to say that all the losses I’ve had have taught me how to appreciate life and find joy in the work,’ Towns said, as quoted by the New York Post. ‘Not many people have a chance to have this job and be able to play basketball for a living.

‘And the problems that have arisen in my life and stuff, I know that if people were in my shoes they’d be extremely joyful to have the problems that I have. So just stay focused and it’s made me a better man. And, with my mom, I had utilized that experience when it came to this one because losing a mom is tough.’

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns has revealed he missed Tuesday’s game against the visiting Golden State Warriors due to the death of a close family friend

Towns missed Tuesday’s game against the visiting Golden State Warriors due to the death of a close family friend named Sarah Holtzman (left), who reportedly died from breast cancer

Read More Jordyn Woods clarifies cancer post that sparked fears over Karl-Anthony Towns’ health

Unfortunately, the reason behind Towns’ absence wasn’t revealed until false rumors began circulating through social media this week.

On his own podcast, Warriors forward Draymond Green suggested Towns missed the game against Golden State out of some sort of fear of Jimmy Butler.

Towns and Butler were teammates in Minnesota under current Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau in 2018 when the two reportedly began trash talking during one practice. Tensions built and Butler was later reported by Adrian Wojnarowski to have screamed ‘you f***ing need me’ at team executives in a moment of frustration with Towns and other teammates.

The two have since corroborated the reports to varying degrees, but Towns insisted in 2023 that he and Butler are now on good terms.

Besides, Butler’s presence on the Miami Heat didn’t stop Towns from scoring 44 points in an October win for the Knicks. (Butler has since been traded to Golden State)

Draymond Green claimed on his podcast that Karl-Anthony Towns missed Tuesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors because the Knicks star is scared of Jimmy Butler 

Green’s suggestion about Towns being afraid of Butler doesn’t make since seeing as the former scored 44 points in a win over the latter and the Miami Heat back in October 

But that fact didn’t stop Green from suggesting Towns was somehow frightened to play Butler on Tuesday.

‘Some would say he wasn’t playing because Jimmy was in the building,’ Green told former NBA point guard Baron Davis on a podcast Thursday.

‘They said KAT ain’t play because Jimmy came to town and you known him and Jimmy had an infamous practice in Minnesota,’ Green added. ‘That’s the thing. I don’t know.’

Exacerbating matters was FS1’s Chris Broussard, who seized Green’s public speculation.

‘There’s a rumor out there,’ Broussard said on FS1. ‘Draymond said it on his podcast…Draymond said the word is, he didn’t want to play against Jimmy Butler.’