Jacqueline Cruz, the mother of young Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, died Monday due to complications from the coronavirus (COVID-19), the team announced in a statement.
Rockets forward Robert Covington, who played with Towns in Minnesota prior to his February trade to Houston and became close friends with him, joined much of the NBA world in expressing his sorrow.
In an emotional Instagram post which included a picture of Towns and his mother, the 29-year-old Covington wrote:
My brother, I’m so sorry that you and pops have to endure this pain. … Her spirit was what drove you the most. She was your rock, man. Mrs. Towns was a beautiful woman that opened her arms to me and treated me as her one of own from the moment I got to Minnesota and after.
On March 24, Towns posted a video detailing the severity of his mom’s condition. At that time, she was in a medically induced coma.
“I felt the love and energy you received your whole life and it was amazing,” Covington wrote in closing. “I’m always here for you, bro. We know it’s more than basketball with us. I love you, and I’m so sorry you got to deal with this. Rest in heaven, Mrs. Towns.”
