Towns, who plays for Minnesota Timberwolves and represents the Dominican Republic, lost his mum on April 13 at the age of 58 after she was placed on a ventilator for almost three weeks.

The 25-year-old said six other family members had died from COVID-19 while his father had tested positive before making a recovery.

"I've been through a lot, obviously starting out with my mom," said Towns in a media conference.

"Last night I got a call that I lost my uncle.

"I feel like I've been hardened a little bit by life and humbled."

Towns, who was speaking ahead of the NBA season which starts on December 22, said he had seen "a lot of coffins in the last seven months".

"I have a lot of people who have - in my family and my mum's family - got COVID," said Towns.

"I'm the one looking for answers still, trying to find how to keep them healthy.

"It's just a lot of responsibility on me to keep my family well-informed and to make all the moves necessary to keep them alive."

The United States has recorded one million new infections in the past five days, increasing its total number of coronavirus cases to 14.7 million since the beginning of the pandemic.

A total of 281,000 have also died from COVID-19 and figures are continuing to rise in the country.

Towns has posted several videos on social media to express his emotions following the loss of his mum as he looks to help other families who have lost loved ones from COVID-19.

"I didn't want people to feel the way I felt," said Towns.

"I wanted to try to keep them from having the ordeal and the situation I was going through.

"It just came from a place that I didn't want people to feel as lonely and upset as I was.

"I really made that video just to protect others and keep others well-informed, even though I knew it was going to take the most emotionally out of me that I've ever been asked to do."

Towns thanked his teammates for playing a major role in helping him with his grieving process, but admitted it would be difficult to play basketball without his mother.

"It always brought me a smile when I saw my mum at the baseline and in the stands and stuff and having a good time watching me play," added Towns.

"It is going to be hard to play.

"It's going to be difficult to say this is therapy.

"I don't think [playing basketball] will ever be therapy for me again.

"But it gives me a chance to relive good memories I had."