In an emotional video, NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns breaks down prior to a preseason game after losing his mother due to COVID-19.
The Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns was visibly distraught as his name was announced before their preseason game on Saturday.
Towns lost his mother and six other family members this year due to complications with COVID-19. The 25-year-old has said how hard this season would be without them cheering him on from the sidelines.
In the 36-second video, Karl-Anthony Towns is seated on the bench while the players are announced. He hangs his head in his hands and uses a towel to dry his tears. After he did not get up to high-five his teammates as he typically does, the men came to his aid by circling him in a supportive embrace—an emotional moment for all.
Karl-Anthony Towns Opens Up About Mother
Karl-Anthony Towns said his mother rarely missed one of his games. In an interview prior to the start of the season, he said that basketball has changed for him forever.
“It always brought me a smile when I saw my mom at the baseline and in the stands and stuff and having a good time watching me play,” Towns said, according to Pop Culture. “It is going to be hard to play. It’s going to be difficult to say this is therapy. I don’t think [playing basketball] will ever be therapy for me again. But it gives me a chance to relive good memories I had.”
However, Karl-Anthony Towns fought through his internal battle and played a total of 21 minutes for the Timberwolves. During that time, he scored 13 points, had the most rebounds on the team, with eight.
Sadly, Town’s and the Timberwolves’ efforts proved to come up just short with a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. After the tough battle yesterday, the Grizzlies took the win by two points.
Minnesota is looking for redemption in their game tomorrow against Memphis at 7:00 p.m.
