Jaqueline Towns, the mother of NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns, has died after battling the coronavirus, according to an announcement by Karl-Anthony’s team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“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.”
Towns went public on March 15 that his mother had been placed on a ventilator and was in a medically induced coma due to complications with COVID-19. He posted an emotional video on social media, saying it’s important that “everyone understands the severity of what’s happening in the world right now.”
“This disease needs to not be taken lightly.” Towns said. “Please protect your families, your loved ones, your friends, yourself. Practice social distancing. Please don’t be in places with a lot of people; it just heightens your chances of getting this disease and this disease…It’s deadly. It’s deadly. And we’re going to keep fighting on my side, me and my family, we’re going to keep fighting this. We’re going to beat it. We’re going to win.”
Prior to publicly sharing his mother’s condition, Towns donated $100,000 to the Mayo Clinic to help in its effort to combat the coronavirus, CNN reported.
Towns’ father, Karl Sr., was also hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19 and was eventually released and told to self-quarantine. He has since recovered from the virus, Sports Illustrated reported.
Other NBA players expressed their condolences on Twitter.
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 70: Jamarlin Martin Jamarlin goes solo to discuss the COVID-19 crisis. He talks about the failed leadership of Trump, Andrew Cuomo, CDC Director Robert Redfield, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, and New York Mayor de Blasio.
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young tweeted: “Wow… I hope everybody is taking this pandemic seriously… Continue to Pray for every family through this tough time, and hold your Loved ones Close.”
