Death of Karl-Anthony Towns' mother hits close to home for Heat's Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo was one of the first to pay his respects.

Shortly after the Minnesota Timberwolves announced center Karl-Anthony Towns' mother, Jacqueline Cruz, died from coronavirus Monday, Adebayo went to his social media page.

"Sending Prayers Bro," Adebayo wrote on his personal Twitter page

Cruz battled the virus, which has been responsible for more than 23,000 deaths in the United States. for a month. Several around the league expressed their condolences via social, ranging from Atlanta Hawks All-Star guard Trae Young to former Heat legend Dwyane Wade.

"The NBA family mourns the passing of Jacqueline Cruz, loving mother to Karl-Anthony Town," the league tweeted. "Jacqueline was beloved around the NBA and a great source of strength and inspiration for the family. We extend our deepest condolences to the Towns family during the difficult time."

Sending Prayers Bro 🤞🏾 @KarlTowns https://t.co/tdy8nGNdDc
— 13am Adebayo (@Bam1of1) April 13, 2020

It hit especially close to home for Adebayo because of his relationship with Towns. They are both former University of Kentucky players and have grown closer since Adebayo entered the league in 2017. In April of 2019, they shared a dinner with Kentucky coach John Calipari the night before they played against each other in Minneapolis.

The tragedy stings even more for Adebayo because of his bond with his mother, Marilyn Blount. A single parent, Blount and Adebayo have one of the strongest mother-son relationships in the NBA. They live in the same apartment building and have spent most of the quarantine together. When speaking with reporters last week, Adebayo jokingly said his mother is tired of seeing him.

Their relationship was on display after Adebayo won the Skills Competition during NBA All-Star Weekend in February. He brought her to interview podium because she was more excited about the experience than him.

"I feel like my mom was the happiest in the room," Adebayo said when he learned he was chosen as an All-Star. "That's a mother's love."