Karl-Anthony Towns makes quite the first impression.
He was an impressive freshman on a Kentucky team that won nearly every game. He was the first pick in the NBA Draft and won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award last season.
But Towns has been impressing people for a long time. Even as a 14-year-old high schooler Towns made a big impression on Boston Celtics star Al Horford.
Al Horford will nvr forget the 1st time he met Karl-Anthony Towns; a moment that forged a unique mentor-student bond https://t.co/SvvOgp2e7m
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 21, 2016
The meeting took place around six years ago at the University of Kentucky where Horford and the Dominican Republic ‘s national team were holding a practice.
Towns, whose mother is Dominican-born, was on a recruiting visit to Kentucky and he took the opportunity to visit with the national team members.
“What impressed me right away was, I think he wore like a size 17 or 18 shoe at (age 14),” Horford said at Boston’s Monday shoot around ahead of the matchup with the Timberwolves Monday night.
“He was just very impressive right off the bat. And then I saw him shoot a little bit and he was already shooting 3s and very comfortable at that age, so that was something that really struck me.”
A year later the two were teammates. At 15, Towns made the Dominican national team as a 6-foot-10 high school freshman and Horford immediately took Towns under his wing.
“Al was my KG, before KG,” Towns told reporters after the team’s walk through Monday. “Me and him have always been tremendously close, our families are tremendously close.”
Who’s job is it to try and stop Towns? Horford’s of course.
So don’t be surprised if Towns has something special to surprise his teacher and friend with.
Karl Anthony Towns clownin' err'body https://t.co/BU5F9TNVtJ
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) November 18, 2016
