The American Dominican center of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns, declared this Friday that he feels prepared to begin his sixth season with his team, although he acknowledged that he continues to process the death of his mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, and six other family members who also died of complications from the coronavirus.
“I’ve been through something really tough, obviously starting with the loss of my mom,” Towns admitted. “I got a call last night that I lost my uncle. I feel like life has hardened me a bit and humiliated me.”
On March 25, Towns shared a video on Instagram in which she explained that her mother had been on a ventilator and was in an induced coma as a result of the Covid-19 disease. Cruz-Towns died on April 13 at the age of 58.
The player said that “I have seen many coffins in the last seven months. I have many people who, in my family and in my mother’s, have had coronavirus“.
He commented that “I’m the one still searching for answers, trying to find a way to keep them healthy. It is a huge responsibility for me to keep my family well informed and to do all the necessary moves to keep them alive.” Towns’ father, Karl Sr., also contracted the virus, but recovered.
Towns has posted several video updates on her social media detailing what happened while caring for her mother and how she felt after her death. He said he felt the need to share these videos to help people better understand the effects of the disease. “I didn’t want people to feel what I was feeling,” explained Towns, adding that “I wanted to try to prevent them from having the ordeal and the situation that I was going through.”
He stated that “I just came from a place where I didn’t want people to feel as lonely and upset as I was. I made that video just to protect others and keep them well informed, and somehow help them emotionally too, despite how hard it was for me to remember what I experienced. ” Towns noted that his teammates, particularly guard D’Angelo Russell, helped him move forward in the weeks after the loss of his mother.
He also commented that he received a large number of supportive calls and text messages from members of the Timberwolves organization.
He acknowledged that he is passionate about playing basketball again, but that it will be a challenge to play without his mother. Cruz-Towns rarely missed one of his games. “It always made me smile to see my mom on the baseline and in the stands and see that she had a good time watching me play. It’s going to be hard to do it again without her. It’s going to be hard to say this is therapy. I don’t think so. it (playing basketball) be therapy again for me. But it gives me the opportunity to relive the good memories I had with a lovable being like my mother, “added Towns.
