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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

The Minnesota Timberwolves are looking to continue their dominant run. They have been the best team in the Western Conference for the majority of the season. Tonight, Anthony Edwards and Co. will face the San Antonio Spurs. However, the Timberwolves received a massive blow ahead of the game that might ruin their chances of winning. Their superstar, Karl-Anthony Towns, has been ruled out from tonight’s game due to personal reasons.

While many wondered what KAT’s reasons for missing tonight’s game could be, the 4-time All-Star revealed it on Instagram. Towns’ Saint Joseph High School teammate Danny Brix passed away on Wednesday at the age of 30.

The news devastated the Timberwolves star, who paid homage to his former teammate, “To my brother, you were more than my teammate and our captain, you were simply one of my best friends. Love you and will miss you tremendously. Till our paths cross again.” Towns also shared glimpses of his cherished time with Brix.

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Danny Brix dedicated his life to the game of basketball. He started his basketball journey at Monroe High School. Brix then transferred to St. Joseph’s, where he would team up with KAT to lift the Non-public A State Championship. The high school star then shifted his focus to coaching. Brix was working as the assistant coach at Colonia High School before he passed away.

The Colonia High School community was heartbroken by the news of their beloved coach’s passing. The Colonia Boys team was in the middle of the State Tournament playoffs and had to postpone a playoff game against Fort Lee following Brix’s sudden demise. The team is “still processing” the devastating news.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ heartbreaking journey

The last few years have been heartbreaking for Karl-Anthony Towns. While KAT mourns his friend and high school teammate’s passing, he suffered a similar loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, Towns’ mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, passed away at the age of 58 after a long battle with the coronavirus.

It was a dreadful day for the entire NBA community, as Jacqueline had been a part of Towns’ basketball journey since the beginning. She was there when he announced which college Towns would attend. And she was there when he was named an NBA All-Star.

He also lost six more family members, including his grandmother, during the pandemic. “I am just trying my best to keep my family safe,” Towns said in an interview after his mother’s passing.

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It is inspiring to see KAT thriving on the court despite having to go through such devastating losses in his personal life. Hopefully, Towns can recover from Danny’s loss and return to the court soon.

Read More: “All-Star MVP Snub”: Karl-Anthony Towns’ Latest Tweet After 50-pt Show at 2024 ASG Ignites Fans