Two-time NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns was in the passenger seat on his way to meet the Minnesota Timberwolves at the airport when a semi-truck slammed into the back of the vehicle at what he estimated was between 55 and 70km/h.
As soon as the medical exam confirmed the injuries were minor, Towns began thinking about whether he could still join his team in time for the next game.
He knew he was fortunate, though, to have escaped the crash at all.
"I'd say I had a five per cent chance of making it out alive," Towns said Monday before Minnesota's game against Sacramento.
"I probably should not have made it out like I did, but I'm glad I did."
As are the Timberwolves and his family.
"You obviously want to make sure KAT the person is taken care of," coach Ryan Saunders said, confirming that Towns would play against the Kings.
"That's definitely put ahead of KAT the basketball player."
Assistant strength and conditioning coach Kurt Joseph was driving on Thursday when he had to make a hard stop on Interstate 35W in Minneapolis to account for an accident in front of them.
Towns said he recalled Joseph looking "stone-faced" while remarking that the semi-truck he saw in the rear-view mirror was not slowing down.
"If I don't have that seat belt I'm going right through the windshield," Towns told reporters.
Towns exhibited some concussion-like symptoms, so per league protocol, he was held out of Friday's game at New York and again on Saturday at Milwaukee.
That ended his streak of 303 consecutive games started, the longest to start an NBA career since 1970-71.
