The mother of NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns has succumbed to complications from the coronavirus, according to ESPN.
Jacqueline Cruz-Towns was only 58.
On March 25, 2020, Towns, an NBA All-Star for the Minnesota Timberwolves, shared an emotional video on Instagram revealing that his mother and father had both been stricken by the virus. Although his father eventually got better, his mother was in a medically induced coma and had been placed on a ventilator.
“She just wasn’t getting better,” Towns said in the video. “Her fever was never cutting from 103, [it would] maybe go down to 101.9 with the meds, then [it would] immediately spike back up during the night. She was very uncomfortable. Her lungs were getting worse, her cough was getting worse. She was deteriorating.”
On Monday, April 13, the Towns family released 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.”
The NBA suspended play one month ago without a timetable of when it would resume or conclude the season.
Following news of Jacqueline Cruz-Towns’ passing, many in the NBA world shared their condolences.
😢😢 damn man this hurts!! Sending love and prayers your way @KarlTowns ❤️ https://t.co/UyAz9UJdiL
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) April 13, 2020
Sending my love and prayers to my brother @KarlTowns and his family❤️ 🙏🏾
— John Wall (@JohnWall) April 13, 2020
I’m so sorry bro. I love you man 😭💔 @KarlTowns
— Robert Covington (@Holla_At_Rob33) April 13, 2020
Man… thoughts and prayers with you and the entire family @KarlTowns 🙏🏾
— Chris Paul (@CP3) April 13, 2020
Ms. Jackie was an angel and we were blessed to have her in our lives. I cannot imagine the heartbreak that @KarlTowns and Karl Sr. are going through right now but my hope is we can lift them up during this time and get them through this with our thoughts and prayers.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) April 13, 2020
