The first pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Minnesota Timberwolves forward, Karl Towns had an All Star season last year. Towns posted an impressive 21 points and hauled in 12 rebounds for the T-Wolves.
Although the Wolves lost 4-1 in round one of last year’s NBA Playoffs to a Houston Rockets team that eventually made it to the Western Conference Finals, Towns would finish the series averaging 15 points and 13 rebounds.
It’s all about growth for Towns and one of his mentors is in his corner: Kevin Garnett.
“He’s the future,” Kevin Garnett told me.
Earlier this summer, Karl Towns, Sr. father of Karl Towns told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast that the best thing that happened to his son was Kevin Garnett because, “Garnett taught Karl how to be a pro.”
To that, Garnett is pleased. “It’s dope, it’s dope,” said Garnett.
“When you come into this league, you don’t believe there’s a better player. But when he came into it, I see a lot of similarities in Karl to myself. If I could ever be an inspiration and lead him into that, I’ve always wanted to be that. And the fact that he took heed and took some of the advice I gave him is more than honorable, so it’s dope.”
Towns is a modern big man that has a solid back to the basket game, a consistent face-up game, a 3-point shot and slick dribble too.
FILE – In this Nov. 27, 2015, file photo, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett, right, rubs the head of teammate Karl-Anthony Towns as they celebrate during the closing moments of the Timberwolves’ 101-91 win over the Sacramento Kings in an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif. Less than a week before training camp begins, the Timberwolves have not heard from Garnett on his desires for the upcoming season. With that silence in mind, the team has started to explore scenarios that include them moving on without the franchise icon, who has been bothered by knee problems the last two years. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) ORG XMIT: NY158
Kevin Garnett was very instrumental to Towns’ growth during his first year in the NBA. “He continuously told me to be patient,” Towns told me.
“Being patient on the court, everything will begin to slow down. I mean, just how to be a professional, how to be a professional in this game on and off the court. Just to do my best to lead, and that’s the biggest thing.”
Now retired and doing TV work with TNT, here’s the million dollar question for the Big Ticket: Could KG hang with today’s modern-era of NBA big men? “The style is different; up and down,” he said.
“Different eras call for different physicalities. I think the creativeness here is the root, skill levels are through the roof. But yeah, I like to think if I put my mind to anything I could do it.”
