NBA player Karl-Anthony Towns revealed that he has lost seven members of his family to COVID-19, including his mother, who died from the virus in April, and that he has seen ‘a lot of coffins in the last seven months’.

Towns, 25, spoke with ESPN about the upcoming NBA season, which begins on December 22, and the challenges it will face him in the wake of his off-court tragedy.

‘I’ve gone through a lot, obviously beginning with my mother,’ Towns said Friday.

‘I got a call last night to say I’d lost my uncle. I feel like life has toughened and humbled me.

He did not disclose which additional members of his family had died.
The 25-year-old claimed he is still processing his mother’s death while attempting to safeguard the rest of his family from the ongoing pandemic.


His father, Karl Sr., also tested positive for coronavirus earlier this year but recovered.

‘I’ve seen a lot of coffins in the previous seven months,’ Towns explained.

‘Many folks in my family and my mother’s family have contracted COVID. I’m still looking for solutions, trying to figure out how to keep kids healthy.


‘It’s just a lot of duty on my part to keep my family informed and make all the required arrangements to keep them alive,’ he continued.
His mother underwent treatment at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia and JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey.

Towns subsequently acknowledged her passing with a heartfelt video of her by his side during games, press conferences, and television appearances.

His mother had been a continuous presence during all of the major milestones of his career, and was often highlighted by fans for her excitement in supporting her son from the crowd.
The basketball player stated that he felt obliged to share his mother’s story on social media, outlining how he cared for her, so that people could better comprehend the pandemic’s impact.

‘I didn’t want people to feel the way I did,’ Towns explained.

‘I wanted to spare them the ordeal I was going through. It simply stemmed from a desire not to make others feel as lonely and upset as I was.

‘I truly created the video just to protect people and keep them aware, even though I knew it would take the most emotional out of me that I’d ever been asked to do.’


Towns told ESPN that his teammates had been a huge help as he grieved, but it will still be difficult for him to return to the floor because his mother seldom missed one of his games.
‘It always made me smile when I saw my mom at the baseline, in the stands, and having fun watching me play,’ Towns said.

It is going to be difficult to play. It will be difficult to argue this is therapy. I don’t believe [playing basketball] will ever be therapeutic for me again. But it allows me to revisit happy experiences.

During a conference call with reporters on Friday, Towns became upset when discussing George Floyd and the protests that followed his death while being kneeled on by a white police officer on Memorial Day.


The former Kentucky Wildcats player stated that he first stayed at home because it was just over a month since his mother’s death, but he eventually felt forced to join the protests because he ‘knew my mom would’ve wanted me to be there; she would’ve given me the push and motivation to go.