Karl-Anthony Towns Sr., the father of the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, is considering his legal options after an incident during a January home game inflicted a serious leg injury, according to Sports Illustrated’s Michael McCann.
Those options include potentially suing the Minnesota Timberwolves for negligence.
During a timeout in the second quarter of the T’Wolves’ Jan. 26 loss to the Indiana Pacers, the Minnesota mascot lost control at the end of a sledding stunt down a flight of stairs. The mascot, named Crunch, crashed into an empty row of chairs, and those chairs hit the 54-year-old Towns, Sr.’s right knee.
The stunt is frequently performed at the Target Center and has been performed by the Utah Jazz mascot, as well.
Towns Sr. was in “considerable pain,” per McCann, using an ice pack to reduce swelling. He refused to seek medical care at the behest of team attendants, however, under the belief his absence would negatively influence his son’s play.
Towns Jr. finished with 33 points (13-of-23 shooting), 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals. At the end of the game, though, his father’s knee had swollen so much, he could not put any weight on it.
He was given crutches and went to a local hospital for an MRI, according to McCann.
Incidents between mascots and fans are rare, but do occur.
In 2015, a fan sued Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals after a mascot launched a foiled-wrapped hot dog into his eye, causing a detached retina, vision damage and possible glaucoma. The mascot was later cleared of all wrongdoing.