'7 feet of sexy.' Former Kentucky star bares all for ESPN the Magazine

Former University of Kentucky basketball star Karl-Anthony Towns went full nude in ESPN The Magazine's upcoming Body Issue.

ESPN's annual Body Issue features athletes in nude or semi-nude photographs to showcase them in their athletic form, and Towns was the lone NBA player to grace this year's edition. The current Minnesota Timberwolves franchise player joins another former Wildcat, John Wall, among former Kentucky players to make it in the Body Issue.

Multiple photos in the magazine and on ESPN's website show Towns jumping in the air with only a basketball covering himself.

Towns told the magazine that growing up he was told his body was his biggest weakness. It's safe to say it's among his biggest strengths now.

"I was that chubby kid with not the flashiest body, and now I'm able to represent myself and my family and all the journeys and the trials and tribulations that I went through to get to this body," he said.

A growth spurt in seventh and eighth grade led Towns to become the 7-foot behemoth that he is. He said his height is like his superpower.

"I've never wanted to be short. Never wanted to be regular height," he said. "I always wanted to be myself. Now I'm 7 feet of sexy, a lot of it."

Other athletes featured in this year's Body Issue, set to hit newsstands June 29, are figure skater Adam Rippon, golfing legend Greg Norman, NFL running back Saquon Barkley and NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.

Since leaving Kentucky, Towns said he feels like a new being physically. He loves the grind of the NBA job, he said, and is always looking for ways to get better.

"I changed my weight, my shoulders, my arms, my legs, getting stronger all over," he told the magazine. "Since making these changes, I think I've been able to play at a much faster pace for a longer time."

Pictures of Towns' photo shoot can be found on ESPN.com.

This story was originally published June 25, 2018 at 11:16 AM with the headline "'7 feet of sexy.' Former Kentucky star bares all for ESPN the Magazine."