Karl-Anthony Towns likely saw his 2023/24 NBA season come to an end on Thursday. The Minnesota Timberwolves star suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and is out indefinitely. Barring a miraculous recovery, his return to the court will presumably not occur until next year.

Despite the disappointing news, Towns was more concerned with others.

He showed his character with a selfless gesture to the Timberwolves community. It has since gone viral, even though that was not his intention.

Towns quietly made a $1,500 donation to a GoFundMe page started by Minnesota fans on behalf of their mother. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2020 and has been battling ever since. In more ways than one.

Hi, my name is Gigi, and our mom was diagnosed with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer in Spring of 2020. She underwent a year of chemo and radiation treatment, and then in Summer of 2021 had Whippel surgery to remove the tumor. The Whippel surgery got rid of the tumor, but left her malnourished. The surgery removes a portion of your stomach, pancreas, and bile duct.

Almost a year later of being cancer free, she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
Right now, she is undergoing chemo treatment.

While she is battling cancer and malnutrition, she also underwent surgery from a broken femur. As she was recovering from her surgery, her house burned down.

— Geri and Simon Glinsek

Unfortunately, Kathleen Fransen passed away on Thursday.

My mom brightened an entire room with her presence. She cared so much about others. Having a bad day? My mom would see that and buy you a bag of Snickers. She would be at chemo and be more worried about the nurses health than her own. She just loved making people feel special.

— K👁🌲🐺🌲 (@Kgformvp211) March 7, 2024

Donations to the GoFundMe, including the one made by the Timberwolves’ seven-footer, will go toward funeral costs. Every dollar makes a difference.

However it came to be, Towns discovered the page within hours of receiving his potential season-ending diagnosis. Perhaps it put his own situation in perspective and inspired him to give to others who are struggling with something much bigger than a torn meniscus.

Towns’ donation made a profound impact on the family.

“Karl-Anthony Towns, you are an amazing human being,” said the Glinseks on X. “Even on a day that didn’t have the best news for yourself, you took the time to impact and care for me and my family. I’m absolutely speechless and cannot thank you enough.”

He chose to give back to his community instead of wallowing in his own despondency. That is a testament to his character and who he is as person. Self is not first!

Although Karl-Anthony Towns was not looking for praise, his donation did not go unnoticed. The timing makes it that much more special.

It was a really cool gesture from one of the brightest and most humble stars in the NBA.