Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns Announces He Tested Positive for COVID-19

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns announced Friday he has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement released on Twitter, Towns also implored people to help stop the spread together and mentioned the impact COVID-19 has had on his family.

The statement concluded as follows:

"It breaks my heart that my family, and particularly my father and sister continue to suffer from the anxiety that comes along with this diagnosis as we know all too well what the end result could be.

"To my niece and nephew, Jolani and Max, I promise you I will not end up in a box next to grandma and I will beat this."

Jacqueline Towns, who is the ex-Kentucky star's mother, died from complications related to COVID-19 last April.

Towns told reporters in December that he had lost seven family members in total due to COVID-19.

Towns and the T-Wolves were scheduled to play the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, but that game has been postponed in accordance with the NBA's health and safety protocols.

Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas spoke with reporters after news broke:

Towns has actively attempted to spread awareness about the disease. He gifted $100,000 to the Mayo Clinic in March and shared his story on Instagram later that month regarding his mother's COVID-19 diagnosis.

"We can beat this, but this is serious and we need to take every precaution," Towns wrote in his IG caption.

He added: “The severity of this disease is real. This disease needs to not be taken lightly. Please protect your families, your loved ones, your friends, yourself. Practice social distancing.”

Towns also released a video in November entitled "The Toughest Year of My Life," discussing his mother's battle and opening up about the emotional toll the disease took on he and his family:

In late December, Towns told reporters how much his mother's death changed him ever since she passed April 13.

“I don’t even recognize most of my other games and years I’ve played and how I felt those days,” he told reporters:

“If I can be honest with y’all for a second, I mean, I don’t really recall or really care.

“I only know what happened from April 13 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. I don’t know that man. You’re talking to the physical me, but my soul has been killed off a long time ago.”

Per the World Health Organization on Friday, there have been over 22.87 million confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States, leading to over 381,500 deaths.

A total of 217,666 confirmed cases occurred Thursday alone.