The Minnesota Timberwolves had a very rough 2019-20 season. They were #14 in the WC with a 19-45 record. For their center player, Karl Anthony, it was a tough year for more serious and personal reasons. He unfortunately lost his mother, Jacqueline Towns, to COVID-19 earlier in April.

The Timberwolves drafted Karl in 2015. He was the first overall pick and a player that brought great defensive strength to the side. When he joined Kentucky before getting into the NBA, it was his mother who was sitting beside him while he was making the announcement. They shared a very deep bond, and the sudden loss left him shattered.

Karl Anthony opened up about the tragic loss

It can never be easy to talk about such personal turbulences in front of the world. Especially for athletes, who are always seen enjoying their time, it gets tough for them to touch upon such emotional topics from their lives. Kat, being an exception, decided to openly come out and discuss the event that broke him. 

In an interview, Anthony recollected, “I knew something was off and heart was just jumping. I answered the phone, and he [his father] looked stressed. I said, what’s wrong? He was just like, ‘She’s gone. She had a stroke during the night and she’s gone.”

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The 24-year-old Karl obviously did not know how to react to such news. He then remembered, “‘Has she taken a step back? What’s the next step?’ Because in my mind, I’m just thinking about [next] steps. He had just told me those doctors thought there was no way for meaningful life from her after this stroke. It just got to a point where it was harming her.”

Anthony also detailed the toughest act he had to endure even before losing his mother. She was in a medically induced coma before suffering a stroke. The star was then forced to talk to his family to unanimously make the decision to lift the life support. The young star said with teary eyes, “I gave her all the time, and I made the hardest decision you can make. I called my sister, I told her the decision I made was. You’ve got to live with that. I made that decision.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves are counting heavily on Kat’s comeback

Before the death of his mother, Karl had played 35 games in the 2019-20 season with a career-high average of 26.5 ppg. His three-point accuracy is counted amongst the elite in the league. However, this particular season was a nadir point in his career because of the knee/wrist injury, and then also seeing his team falling apart in his absence. 

Presently, the best news for the Timberwolves is of course their NBA lottery that awarded them with yet another first overall pick. Now it is still not clear whether they will draft LaMelo Ball or anyone else, or perhaps trade-in for more experienced players. But one thing is sure; Karl Anthony will come back more focused and angrier than ever.

Read also – NBA Trade Rumors: Minnesota Timberwolves Have Made the #1 Pick ‘Available’