Emotional Karl-Anthony Towns talks toll of mother's COVID-19 death: 'My soul has been killed off'

Jason Owens
·Staff writer
Updated ·3 min read
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As the NBA tipped off its season amid COVID-19 chaos, Karl-Anthony Towns delivered a sobering reminder of the costs of the pandemic.

The Minnesota Timberwolves center posted a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds in a season-opening win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, earning game-ball honors. After the game, he told Fox Sports’ Marney Gellner that he was dedicating the ball to his mother Jacqueline Towns, who died of COVID-19 on April 13.

“I’m gonna put it next to my mom,” Towns said of the game ball that he was delivering to his father. ... “I’m just happy I got this for her. I told her I wanted to get her this win and get her this ball. I was just happy I was able to get it done.”

Towns continued to talk about the impact of his mother’s death with reporters after the game.

“You know what, I don’t even recognize most of my other games and years I’ve played and how I felt those days,” Towns told reporters, per The Athletic. “If I can be honest with ya’ll for a second, I mean, I don’t really recall or really care. I only understand what happened from April 13th on.

“Because you may see me smiling and stuff, but that Karl died on April 13. He’s never coming back I don’t remember that man. You’re talking to the physical me, but my soul has been killed off a long ago. …

“I’m very fortunate, like I said on TV. I’ve got my kids my niece and nephew who are math the house waiting for me. My sister, who has been with me and always been my mom’s favorite. She says she wasn’t, it was me. I think it’s her. That’s just brother and sister.

“I want to answer your question, but that man you’re talking about from April 13 or before. I don’t know him. I don’t recall any part of him.”

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - DECEMBER 23: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves wears a headset as he does an interview after the season opening game against the Detroit Pistons at Target Center on December 23, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Pistons 111-101. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
Karl-Anthony Towns dedicated Wednesday's game ball to his late mother Jacqueline. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

COVID devastated Towns’ family

It was a truly devastating offseason for Towns. In addition to losing his mother, whom he was clearly very close with, Towns revealed earlier this month that he’s lost six other family members to the coronavirus. He said that his uncle was one of the victims of the pandemic that’s wreaked a disastrous toll on his family.

Towns made his emotional ode on the same day the NBA postponed a game because of a spate of protocol violations and COVID-19 exposures among members of the Houston Rockets.

As of Wednesday, COVID-19 has infected 18.4 million Americans, according to Johns Hopkins. More than 326,000 Americans have died of the coronavirus, accounting for 18.8 percent of the global fatalities attributed to the pandemic.

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