In a fascinating turn of events, the New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns will be seen sporting a protective goggle similar to former NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire in the latest game against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, February 8, at the TD Garden in Boston. Stoudemire, a former Knicks star, made these round protective goggles famous back in his playing days.

Karl-Anthony Towns will wear them on Sunday afternoon as a protective measure. According to NBA Insider Stefan Bondy, Towns has got 16 stitches on his eye, and therefore, he will be wearing former Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire’s goggles.

He sustained a ghastly eye injury against the Denver Nuggets and missed the previous game against the Detroit Pistons. However, he has been cleared to feature in this away game against the Celtics, but decided to wear the protective glasses while also rekindling the memories of the Knicks fans.

Interestingly, these rounded goggles became famous when Stoudemire wore them during his time with the Knicks from 2010 to 2015. During his 15-year NBA career, he suffered two major eye injuries, and therefore, the goggles were a protective measure to save his eyes, which later became a style symbol for many. With Towns bringing back those goggles, it is a nice callback to the former Knicks star.

Karl-Anthony Towns suffered a severe eye injury vs Nuggets

Towns is extremely competitive, and he hardly gives an inch on the court. In a similar scenario against the Denver Nuggets, he suffered a deep laceration to his right eye during the New York Knicks‘ dramatic 134-127 win in double overtime on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. The incident happened late in the first quarter as Towns went up to the basket and had a nasty collision with Spencer Jones. It resulted in a lot of blood loss for the Knicks center.

Most of the blood came down his right eye as Jones exited the court and later entered concussion protocols. It was a foul against the big man, and despite the severity of the injury, he went back on his feet and converted both the free-throws and after then he returned to the locker room. The 30-year-old got 16 stitches and returned to the court 3:11 remaining in the second quarter, wearing a bandage above his eye. It only highlights his resilience and dedication towards the game and also towards the Knicks.

“I didn’t really know how bad it was,” Towns said afterward. “But I realized how much I was bleeding. Tim Hardaway Jr. was looking at me like, ‘Ooh.’ It was pretty significant.”

He recorded 24 points, 12 rebounds on 9-of-13 shooting in 34 minutes before he got fouled out in the first overtime. But his impact on the game helped the Knicks secure a crucial win, as it was playoffs like atmosphere against the Nuggets. His absence from the Postons game saw the Knicks suffer a 118-80 defeat. He is averaging double-double this season, once again with 19.9 points and 11.9 rebounds while shooting 46.5% from the field per contest. Hence, there will be hope that he manages to turn the fortunes for the Knicks with his return against the Celtics.