Karl-Anthony Towns Feels Late Mom's Presence Guiding Him Through NBA Finals

Karl-Anthony Towns is playing the best basketball of his life on the sport's biggest stage. And he says the reason he feels so calm out there is because of a woman who passed away five years ago.

After the New York Knicks' Game 1 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals, Towns stepped in front of the Inside the NBA crew — Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson — and said something that stopped everyone in their tracks.

"I don't know what it was," Towns said, his voice soft and certain at the same time, "but I just felt a calm and a peace that I know had to come from the woman above. So I felt really confident about today."

The woman above is Jacqueline Cruz-Towns — KAT's mother. She died in April 2020 at the age of 58 from complications due to COVID-19. And right now, in the middle of the NBA Finals, her son is playing like she never left.

Who Was Jacqueline Cruz-Towns?

Jacqueline Cruz-Towns — Jackie, to everyone who knew her — was born in the Dominican Republic and raised her family in Piscataway, New Jersey, where a young Karl-Anthony Towns grew up dreaming of playing in the NBA. She was, by every account from those who knew her, his most devoted fan and biggest supporter.

From the Saturday AAU tournaments of his childhood to the Sunday games, Jackie was there. When KAT made the NBA. When he became an All-Star. Through every moment that mattered in his basketball life, his mother was in the stands.

"I felt like a kid," Towns told the Inside the NBA crew after Game 1. "It was just fun out there. This is something that as a kid you always dream about — to be an NBA player, let alone to be in the NBA Finals. I felt really confident. And in a way, I felt like I was seeing her in the stands."

Her death in April 2020 devastated him. COVID-19 had put Jackie on a ventilator and in a medically induced coma for a month. Shortly after she passed, Towns posted an emotional video on YouTube — raw, honest, and heartbreaking — detailing the family's experience. He became one of the first and most prominent athletes to speak openly about losing a parent to the pandemic.

In the years since, he has channeled that grief into advocacy. He became a vocal mental health advocate, speaking openly about the importance of processing loss rather than burying it. He said his mother taught him that showing love — even when it makes you vulnerable, even when you've been hurt — is a sign of strength, not weakness.

"She had taught me everything she needed to teach me," Towns said in a 2024 interview. "I'm just taking those teachings and giving it to the next generation. I'm willing to show my courage and show my strength by allowing myself to possibly be hurt by showing love to others. That's a tremendous lesson she taught me — to not stop showing love just because I've been hurt once or twice."

Playing for Her: KAT's NBA Finals Performance

Through two games of the 2026 NBA Finals, Karl-Anthony Towns has been the best player on the floor — and it isn't particularly close.

Game 1 vs. Spurs (June 3): 18 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block — physical dominance over Wembanyama, key defensive presence in the Knicks' comeback from 14 down

Game 2 vs. Spurs (June 6): 21 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists — continued to suffocate Wembanyama defensively while providing the offensive anchor New York needed

Through two Finals games: averaging 19.5 points and 12.5 rebounds while playing some of the best defense of his career against the most talented young big man in basketball.

He is the clear frontrunner for NBA Finals MVP — and if the Knicks close out this series at Madison Square Garden, it will be one of the most emotionally resonant championship performances in recent memory.

The Dominican Connection

Jackie's roots in the Dominican Republic have always been central to KAT's identity. He plays for the Dominican national team internationally and has spoken repeatedly about wanting to represent the DR at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics — despite being eligible to play for the United States.

"Simply put, they gave my mother life," Towns said. "It's only right I give them mine."

Earlier in the 2026 playoffs — during the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers — Towns delivered a 24-point, 15-rebound performance in a crucial Game 3 win on what happened to be Dominican Republic Mother's Day. Standing on the court afterward, still catching his breath, he looked straight into the camera.

"Shoutout to Dominicans, man, on Dominican Mother's Day," he said. "Shoutout to my mom."

The moment went viral. And it was completely, authentically him.

Shaq Understood

When Towns delivered his postgame words after Game 1 of the NBA Finals — speaking about his mother's presence and the calm she gives him — he looked directly at Shaquille O'Neal and said: "Shaq, you would know what I'm saying."

It was a reference to a shared experience. Shaq lost his own biological father and has spoken about playing through grief and personal pain during his championship seasons. He knew exactly what KAT meant. He nodded. And for a moment, Inside the NBA — a show known for its humor and bravado — went quiet and real.

These are the moments that make sports matter beyond the scoreboard.

What KAT Means to This Knicks Team

Karl-Anthony Towns came to the Knicks in a blockbuster trade before the 2024-25 season. The move was polarizing. Some questioned whether New York was giving up too much. Others wondered if KAT — the generational talent who had never won a playoff series in Minnesota — could handle the pressure of New York.

He has answered every question. He was the Knicks' best player in the 2025 playoffs. He was their anchor through the Eastern Conference Finals. And now, in the NBA Finals, with the whole world watching, he is the calm at the center of everything — drawing his peace from a woman in the stands that only he can see.

"I felt like I was seeing her," he said. "It was really fun. It was really comforting."

The Knicks lead the 2026 NBA Finals 2-0. Game 3 is Monday, June 8 at Madison Square Garden at 8:30 PM ET on ABC.

Jackie Cruz-Towns never got to see her son reach the NBA Finals. But if Karl-Anthony Towns lifts the Larry O'Brien Trophy in the building where his dream was always headed, she'll have been part of every step that got him there.

Key Takeaways

• Karl-Anthony Towns told Inside the NBA after Game 1 that he felt an unexplained "calm and peace" that he attributed to his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns
• Jackie Cruz-Towns died in April 2020 at age 58 from COVID-19 complications after a month on a ventilator — her death devastated KAT and turned him into a prominent mental health and COVID awareness advocate
• Through two NBA Finals games, KAT is averaging 19.5 points and 12.5 rebounds — the early frontrunner for Finals MVP
• His physical and defensive dominance over Victor Wembanyama has been the defining matchup of the 2026 NBA Finals
• Towns plays internationally for the Dominican Republic — his mother's home country — and has dedicated his career to honoring her legacy
• Knicks lead Spurs 2-0; Game 3 is Monday June 8 at Madison Square Garden, 8:30 PM ET on ABC