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T-Wolves President Lauds 'Incredible' Karl-Anthony Towns After Mother's Death
May 20, 2020
As the Minnesota Timberwolves prepare to reopen their practice facilities on Thursday, team president Gersson Rosas offered an update on Karl-Anthony Towns in the wake of his mother's death from COVID-19.
Speaking to reporters in a Zoom call (h/t ESPN's Eric Woodyard), Rosas said Towns has been "incredible through this whole process" with educating himself about the pandemic and helping out local communities:
"For any of you guys that know Karl-Anthony Towns, he's a very educated and intelligent individual who understands what's going on. And I give him and his family a lot of credit because as they were going through this tragedy, they showed us the example. They were partnering up with Mayo; they were helping their communities here in Minnesota and in the Northeast to do whatever they can to give back. He's a very proactive individual who's gone through a lot, has shown an incredible amount of character and toughness going through the loss of his mother."
Jacqueline Cruz-Towns died on April 13 at the age of 58 from complications of COVID-19.
In a March 25 video post on Instagram, Karl-Anthony Towns announced that his mother was in a medically-induced coma and was placed on a ventilator.
Dr. Robby Sikka, T-Wolves vice president of basketball performance and technology, told reporters on Tuesday that he and the Mayo Clinic were spearheading a leaguewide NBA initiative designed to establish what percentage of players, coaches, executives and other staff have developed antibodies to the coronavirus.
Timberwolves players will be able to take part in voluntary workouts starting Thursday at their Mayo Clinic Square practice facility. Woodyard noted they will have to follow a strict set of guidelines that include a 45-minute practice limit, no more than one coach and player on the floor at the same time and protective facemasks to be worn at all times.