Karl-Anthony Towns applauds fellow Latin American Liza Colón-Zayas’ historic Emmy victory
It was a proud moment for Karl-Anthony Towns and all Latin Americans when Liza Colón-Zayas won an Emmy Award on Sunday night. Colón-Zayas won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in the comedy-drama series "The Bear."
It was not just a historic night for the Latin Americans, but Colón-Zayas' acceptance speech also garnered a lot of appreciation on the internet. During her speech, Zayes urged Latin Americans to vote for their rights.
"All the Latinas who are looking at me, keep believing and vote! Vote for your rights," she said in her speech.
Karl-Anthony Towns who has Dominican heritage posted a congratulatory message to the Hollywood actress. Towns reposted a tweet from Variety Magazine:
"Love to see it! Huge congrats!
Karl-Anthony Towns was born in New Jersey, his mother Jacqueline Cruz was born in the Dominican Republic. Cruz died in April 2020 from complications of COVID-19.
Towns was very close to his mother. Cruz had been struggling with COVID complications and was placed in a medically induced coma, she later suffered a stroke. In a video that Towns later posted, he detailed that he was the one who made the decision to take her off of a ventilator so she would pass peacefully.
The entire NBA community stood with the Timberwolves star to show support.
Karl-Anthony Towns talks about his mother and his Latin background
Karl-Anthony Towns feels very close to his Latin heritage. In a conversation with The Undefeated in 2017, the Minnesota Timberwolves star said that he spent most of his childhood at his grandmother's house.
Towns said that he used to play basketball with his cousins in his grandmother's backyard. He also added that the house was always lively with people eating great food and enjoying music.
However, Towns added that he had never seen his mother's home country until he was 15-years-old. Towns said that his mother took him to visit Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.
“My whole life leading up to that point I’d only seen the USA. To see the way my mom’s country is, how beautiful it is, see a different side of the world, it was eye-opening. It was amazing. I had so much fun. I enjoyed it,” he said.
Even after his mother's passing, Towns still proudly engages with his Latin culture.