Timberwolves center Naz Reid has plenty of support following the death of his sister, Toraya

NEW YORK — Naz Reid wore a pair of purple Kobe Bryant Nike shoes at a Timberwolves practice last month, and was asked if they were in honor of his alma mater, Louisiana State.

They weren’t.

“My sister’s favorite color is purple,” the Timberwolves center said of the late Toraya Reid.

Reid said Monday he knew Toraya would have loved to see the Wolves play in their purple and pink Prince-inspired jerseys, which they last wore in the 2018-19 season. For the rest of this season, his family and friends will all have customized Wolves gear that features Toraya’s name and a heart — all in purple, of course.

They got the chance to sport some of that gear this week for the Wolves’ two games in New York.

“We’re supporting her like she supported us each and every way, every facet,” said Reid, the former NBA Sixth Man of the Year who is uber-popular with the Wolves fan base. “Just trying to make sure she knows that we’re still with her, and I know she’s with us.”

The Wolves’ two games in New York gave the New Jersey native a chance at visiting extended family and friends as he played his first regular-season games here since Toraya, 28, was killed on Sept. 6. Prosecutors have charged Shaquille Green, who they say was in a relationship with Toraya, with her murder.

Toraya typically attended Wolves games up and down the East Coast, Naz said.

“She’s loving, caring. … I mean, she’s very selfless. That was the biggest thing for me,” said Reid, often seemingly stoic but positive by nature. “She’s very selfless, and I want everybody to know that. Whatever transpired — everything that happened was all selfless.”

Sister and friend

Sheila Roundtree couldn’t help but let out a good laugh when she recalled another side of Toraya’s personality.

“She’s definitely vocal,” Roundtree said. “If he wasn’t doing something, playing right, she was definitely the one that was going to let him know.”

Roundtree, her late husband Rudy and their sons became extended family to Naz when he attended Roselle Catholic in northern New Jersey with their son, Peace.

In 2024, the Star Tribune detailed the relationship Naz had with Rudy Roundtree, who died of leukemia in 2022. Sheila, who lives in Minneapolis, said she helped organize the merchandise honoring Toraya, who played high school basketball, for Reid’s family and friends. She was sporting a black hoodie with Toraya’s name in purple on the left shoulder in a recent game against the Lakers.

“The camp around him, his friends are around him and just trying to help him get through the process, because it’s never going to stop,” Sheila Roundtree said. “Like I tell Naz, just because you’re carrying it well doesn’t mean it’s not heavy.”

Jaden McDaniels, one of Reid’s best friends on the Wolves, has been there if Reid needs someone.

“Sometimes, he needs that other body of a younger man to have that conversation with. Sometimes it just can’t be me,” Roundtree said. “So his teammates are really giving him the support that he needs.”

Said McDaniels: “When someone’s going through something like that, you just want to be there a little bit more. I’m just not trying to be too like, in his way. Just give him his space. But he knows I’m always here for him.”

Basketball as comfort

Reid’s former coach at Roselle Catholic, Dave Boff, said he tends to leave Reid alone during the season beyond texting. But Boff was at Wednesday’s game against the Knicks.

“You got to lean on two things: you got to lean on the people that you love and that love you,” Boff said, “and I think you got to lean on the things that you love to do as a way to get through difficult times.”

That means playing basketball.

Boff said one of Reid’s prep teammates had a family member who died in the middle of the season, and the structure of the team was healthy for the player.

“If he ever needs something, or if he’s ever down, he knows he can come talk to whoever on the team,” McDaniels said.

Boff saw just how tight knit Reid is with his teammates last season when almost all the Wolves took time on their night off in New York to attend Reid’s jersey retirement ceremony at Roselle Catholic. Anthony Edwards was in attendance that night and was one of the loudest in the gym cheering on Reid during the ceremony.

“Just try to be there for him, talk to him. It can be tough at times for him,” Edwards said. “I’ve been through times myself. Just try to be there and be that person he can talk to if he wants to talk. He’s been carrying himself pretty well, I would say.”

The team’s schedule benefited Reid when the Wolves, who rarely play both the Nets and Knicks on the same road trip, had four nights in New York. That allowed the native of Asbury Park, N.J., plenty of time with family and friends who attended both games, with more coming to the Knicks game Wednesday than the 15 or so that were at Monday’s game at Brooklyn.

“It’s a good chance to have that warm, home, welcome feeling,” Reid said. “With everything that’s transpired, it’s been good to have everybody around comforting me.”

Harnessing good energy

Reid had a chance to be a free agent in the offseason, but he returned to Minnesota on a five-year, $125 million deal. Coming off the bench in 63 of his 80 appearances in 2024-25, he had career highs last season in minutes (27.5 per game), points (14.2), rebounds (6.0) and assists (2.3).

The 6-9 former LSU standout is considered one of the best-shooting big men in the NBA and is already in his seventh pro season at age 26.

Reid said all members of the team, coaches and staff included, are there to make sure he’s doing OK.

“They’re always, talking, making sure most of the time I’m occupied. … Stuff like that is always good,” Reid said.

Only three Wolves — McDaniels, Edwards and Reid — have been around for all of coach Chris Finch’s tenure; he was hired during the 2020-21 season. Finch said the whole organization has been on a mission to “support, support, support” Reid.

“Naz is extremely important to not just our organization as a player, but as a person,” Finch said. “We give him all the space, all the support that you can need, just understand you’re going to have good days and bad days, and that’s going to continue for a while.”

Soldiering on

One of the endearing qualities of Reid’s that has attached him to fans and people where he grew up is his genuine, upbeat nature and the megawatt smile.

That demeanor is still there despite the tough times of the past two months.

“Mentally, he’s pushing through it. You still have to go into the mindset to still go out there and try to have fun, to make the game fun,” Roundtree said. “If he could just keep continuing on to channel that energy that he had, he’ll come out of this.”

This week seemed to be a good one. Around the locker room, Reid was joking, loudly, with Julius Randle after Monday’s victory over Brooklyn about the Randle’s clothing ensemble, which included a durag and a unique jersey.

He came over to make McDaniels laugh while McDaniels was giving an interview at shootaround Wednesday.

At the shootarounds and the games, Reid wears a custom-made armband, with his No. 11 and Toraya’s name on it. He also plans to wear a wristband in the future.

A purple one.

“It’s good to … stay occupied,” Reid said. “Especially to do something that [Toraya] loved and has always done growing up.

“From anything that’s happening in my outside life, [it’s good] just be able to put my mind on basketball and just focus on that at the moment, do what I do best.”