VIDEO: Karl-Anthony Towns credits Al Horford for mentorship
Karl-Anthony Towns was bread for success in the NBA long before stepping on the court for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
As a 15-year-old kid playing on the Dominican Republic national team (his mother is of Dominican descent), Towns was taken under the wing of Atlanta Hawks big man Al Horford, who saw a little bit of himself in the young prospect.
Towns went into detail on their relationship as part of MENTOR's #MentorIRL campaign for National Mentoring Month:
"Me and Al Horford really became friends," Towns said. "His character is just full of humility, just being nice, and just also being eager to learn and accept new people."
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft also recognized his parents, sister, and Timberwolves teammate Kevin Garnett for keeping him on the right path.
Minnesota has gotten the best of Atlanta during their two meetings this season, with Towns averaging a near double-double of 11.5 points and nine rebounds on 61.5 percent shooting.
The sky's the limit for the Kentucky product, who's established himself as the odds-on favorite to take home Rookie of the Year honors.
- With h/t to CBS Sports