Karl-Anthony Towns remembers mom Jacqueline Cruz on her death anniversary with wholesome throwback pic

Karl-Anthony Towns remembered his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, on the fifth anniversary of her death. Cruz passed away on April 13, 2020, due to complications from COVID-19 which in turn had a big impact on Towns' life and career, so her passing had a profound effect on the five-time NBA All-Star.

In a post on his Instagram stories, KAT shared a throwback photo of himself with his mother. They were both smiling and looked really happy when it was taken. He also shared his father's New York Knicks jersey worn for Sunday's game, featuring the name "Jackie," which was his mother's nickname.

Here are the photos shared by Towns on IG:

Karl-Anthony Towns shared this on Instagram. (Photo: @karltowns on IG)

Karl-Anthony Towns was born in New Jersey to parents Karl Sr. and Jacqueline Cruz. Towns represents the Dominican Republic in international basketball because of his mother, who was from the small Caribbean nation. She had been very supportive from the start until KAT had reached the NBA in 2015 as the number one pick.

Her death on April 13, 2020, came as a shock, not just to Towns, but also to the entire NBA family. Both the NBA and the Minnesota Timberwolves shared statements regarding her demise.

Moreover, because it was during the pandemic,dealing with a death in the family was not easy due to the protocols and restrictions implemented by the state. KAT opened up about her death several months later in a vlog on his YouTube channel. He revealed that it was he who "pulled the plug" on his mother to end her suffering.

Towns explained that her mother's condition worsened after she suffered a stroke, and doctors thought that she wouldn't have a great quality of life even if she woke up from her coma.

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Karl-Anthony Towns met Jordyn Woods during the toughest time in his life

Karl-Anthony Towns met Jordyn Woods during the toughest time in his life. (Photo: GETTY)

Karl-Anthony Towns has been in a relationship with Jordyn Woods since March 2020. They were friends before, but the pandemic brought them together after Woods supported KAT during the toughest part of his life.

In an appearance on "Peace of Mind with Taraji P. Henson back in 2021, Towns opened up about the bond he formed with Woods during the pandemic. Because she lost her father when she was young, she knew how to help KAT deal with the loss and grief of his mother's death.

"You know it's crazy because we were best friends," Towns said. "I feel, in a way, when my mom passed, she's like, 'I'm not going to leave you alone. I'm going to make sure you know who you are supposed to be with.' You know she lost her father four years ago I believe. So I leaned on her because she's one of those only people who actually knew how I was feeling and what I was going through."

On his mother's first death anniversary, Towns received a portrait of her as a gift from Woods, created by her brother, John Woods Jr.