Al Horford and Karl-Anthony Towns have been friends since the two met at the 2010 FIBA games when they teamed up on the Dominican Republic national team. Towns was only 15 at the time and Horford was the star of the team, but still made it a point to mentor the young New Jersey native. The best advice he received from the new Boston Celtic was to “Never take a day off. Always go to your full potential.” This was only the beginning of a great bond and friendship being formed, as Horford saw a little bit of himself in the young KAT, attempting to help him in “anyway that he could”.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=RBpaXUpLbc8
Fast-forward six years later, the two NBA big men are preparing for the most important seasons in their careers yet. Horford recently signed a four-year, $113,000,000 contract to bring his All-Star abilities to Boston, where expectations are sky-high for the Celtics. Which is a big change from the small-market Atlanta team he has played on since 2007. The Puerto Plata native will look to fill the shoes of the most famous Dominican athlete in Boston, with the Red Sox David Ortiz retiring.
Cookout! pic.twitter.com/cjVm8J2tRW
— Al Horford (@Al_Horford) October 4, 2016
Karl-Anthony Towns is coming off a stellar rookie season in Minnesota where he took home Rookie Of The Year honors, averaging more than 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. The 20-year-old has a world of potential, and many expect him to take the leap into stardom with coach Tom Thibodeau at the helm for the Timberwolves.
KAT gets his Dominican blood from his mother’s side, which has helped mold him into the player as well as the man he is today. The 20-year-old gives the glory to Al Horford, among other mentors as the main reason for his success and bright future in the NBA. “When you have someone who is trying to guide you in the right direction it makes life much easier and also more fun, me and Al Horford became good friends, his attitude is full of humility,” Towns told the Mentor IRL program in the video above.
The two will forever be linked as they formed an unbreakable bond. This is a huge year for the two ballers as well. They will cross paths again when the Celtics and T-Wolves meet up next month, for their first head to head matchup in Minnesota, on Nov. 21.