Karl-Anthony Towns was selected first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in this year’s NBA Draft. Towns is a fantastic prospect, but at just 19 years of age, he has plenty to learn about and adjust to in the NBA. Luckily, the Timberwolves re-signed Kevin Garnett, who can teach the young Minnesota players — Towns included — about what it means to be a real NBA player.
Towns wants to learn from KG about not just being a player, but a champion. From the Boomer & Carton podcast:
“The biggest thing that I want to really take away from Kevin Garnett, is learn how to be a champion… He has a ring. I want to get a ring also, in my career. Possibly multiple. I want to do that and I want to actually bring that to Minnesota first.”
Garnett, as Towns pointed out, has a ring. He certainly had the talent to win quite a few more than just one, but he was loyal to the Timberwolves for quite some time, and they just weren’t able to give him the support that he needed. In Boston, however, he played with the likes of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo. Together, that 2008 Celtics team was a dominant force, and won a championship with relative ease, leading to the Big Ticket’s famous “Anything Is Possible” quote.
Towns, believes that he, unlike Garnett, has the talent surrounding him to win a championship in Minnesota. He said:
“I like the studs on my team.”
It’s good that Towns likes the players surrounding him. Why shouldn’t he? The Timberwolves are a young team jam-packed with talent. Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins are jaw-droppingly athletic, and Ricky Rubio is a point guard with rare playmaking skills. They also have some talented young bigs in Anthony Bennett, Adrein Payne, and Gorgui Dieng.
