Mother's Day took on a new level of importance for Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns this year.
Towns lost his own mother, Jacqueline Cruz, due to the coronavirus in April. On Sunday, Towns shared a heartwarming text he received from his mother on Christmas.
KAT shared a message he got from his mom on Christmas
She died in April from COVID-19 🙏 pic.twitter.com/GtgyYFGM3z
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 10, 2020
Towns himself took to Instagram at the end of March to reveal that his mom Jacqueline was in a coma due to COVID-19, imploring fans to stay at home to help curb the spread.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-JMTMeJhi6/
Towns' father also contracted the virus, though he managed to recover. Unfortunately, Jacqueline did not recover. She died just three weeks after going into a medically-induced coma.
The Timberwolves issued a statement on behalf of the Towns family after the tragic passing (via Chris Chavez of Sports Illustrated):
“The Towns family is heartbroken by the untimely passing of Jacqueline Towns due [to] complications as a result of COVID-19,” the Timberwolves said in a statement. “Jackie was many things to many people–a wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. The matriarch of the Towns family, she was an incredible source of strength; a fiery, caring, and extremely loving person, who touched everyone she met. Her passion was palpable and her energy will never be replaced.”
The NBA community mourned Jacqueline's loss and sent heartfelt messages to the Towns family. Commissioner Adam Silver also took a brief moment out of Friday's call with the players to acknowledge Jacqueline and send his condolences to Towns and his family.
Heartfelt moment from Adam Silver on his call with all NBA players today, per sources: A shoutout to Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns and condolences for loss of his mother, Jacqueline.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 9, 2020
Today is undoubtedly a bittersweet day for Karl-Anthony Towns and his family.
But hopefully, the Timberwolves center can take solace in knowing he has a strong system of family, friends and peers who stand behind him during these difficult times.
Follow Us
Subscribe