For his 30th birthday, Karl-Anthony Towns received a present that blended memory and milestone. His partner, Jordyn Woods, located the car his late mother drove during his youth, had it shipped and refurbished, then surprised him with it on his big day. 

In an Instagram caption, Woods shared the backstory: “During the summer Karl asked me if I could drive any car for a day, which one would it be. I answered and his response was “I wouldn’t pick anything crazy, I just really loved my mom’s car she had when I was a kid. ” So I went on a mission these past months to find the car, shipped it across the country, got it fixed up and was able to surprise him with it today for his 30th!”

The post included a picture of the restored vehicle parked next to the couple and a nostalgic image of young Karl-Anthony with his mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns. She died in April 2020 after a battle with COVID-19.

In Woods’ Instagram carousel, there is a video captured of Towns behind the wheel smiling broadly and saying, “This is the best thing ever.”

There was also a birthday event including a gathering of close friends, family and several teammates. Woods shared additional photos from the celebration, captioning one post, “Happy Birthday to the man that always brings the sunshine to my days.”

Their relationship, which spans years of friendship and romance, has been anchored by mutual understanding of grief and growth – Towns’ loss of his mother and Woods’ loss of her father at a young age. Their shared journey appears to have inspired the meaningful present. 

While Woods didn’t share details about how she located the vehicle, she noted that the process took several months, including coordinating transport and repairs to ensure the car matched the version Towns remembered growing up with.

The gesture added a personal and emotional layer to Towns’ 30th birthday, offering him a tangible connection to his mother and their family history.