Mother of NBA All-Star Towns passes away after contracting coronavirus

The mother of NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns has died from complications of the coronavirus, his family announced on Monday.

Towns pleaded with fans about the severity of COVID-19 last month when his mom, Jacqueline, was battling symptoms of the virus. 

The Towns family said in a statement released by the Timberwolves that they were "heartbroken." 

"Jackie, as she was affectionately known among family and friends, had been battling the virus for more than a month when she succumbed on April 13th. Jackie was many things to many people – a wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend."

"The matriarch of the Towns family, she was an incredible source of strength; a fiery, caring, and extremely loving person, who touched everyone she met. Her passion was palable and her energy will never be replaced." 

The family also thanked the medical teams at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia and JFK Medical Center in New Jersey for helping Towns' parents. Karl-Anthony's father, Karl Towns Sr., has recovered from the virus.