BOSTON -- Karl-Anthony Towns is the leader of this Minnesota Timberwolves team which brings about a series of ups and downs, even more so when you’re just 23 years old.
He will be the first to acknowledge his approach to leadership has been influenced, arguably no one more than Celtics center Al Horford.
Both Horford and Towns are from the Dominican Republic, one of the many bonds that connect one of the league’s most consistent performers (Horford) with one of its brightest young stars (Towns).
I asked Towns about his relationship with Horford which dates back nearly a decade when Horford was an on-the-rise NBA talent and Towns was an elite 15-year-old with lots of talent and admittedly a lot to learn about the game of basketball on and off the court.
And in Horford, Towns found a willing teacher.
“He really showed me how it was to be a pro first,” Towns said. “So, I always give a lot of my professional experience to him because he’s the one who gave me so much.”
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And it showed on Wednesday night as the Celtics pulled away for a 115-102 win over the Timberwolves.
Horford had 11 points, five rebounds and four assists with two blocked shots for the Celtics (22-15) while Towns finished with a near triple-double of 28 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for Minnesota (17-21).
Towns recalls spending a summer working with Horford when he was around 15 or 16 years of age, a time when Towns found himself trying to learn “exactly what he does every single day from a diet standpoint, to a stretching, to every little thing.”
Towns added, “I’m thankful that he not only showed me the way, but he didn’t hide any little thing from me and gave me a full repertoire of moves and a lot of experience to go along. So I thank him for that.”
During that early encounter in the Dominican Republic, Towns recalls the day was spent working a lot on mid-range shots.
“And when you’re young, and especially the age that we live in, everyone’s looking for the highlight. Everyone’s looking for high-flying dunks and the three-ball and all these crazy handles. And then, me and Al are in there doing what I’ve always been (doing), but taking it to another level which is just super fundamental work; mid-range shots, the right way to shoot a right-handed hook, instead of using so much athleticism. And all those little things. It’s a big part of my game now to this day.”
And with the exodus of Jimmy Butler via trade, there is little doubt that this is Towns’ team. And with that comes another level of leadership for the 23-year-old big man.
“I’ve always embraced it,” Towns said. “It’s just different ways that you do it. Leadership isn’t always about how loud you speak and how much roar you’re putting out there with your voice. You’ve got to lead by example. I’ve chosen to lead in a different way throughout these years. I’ve led by example, I’ve led through different ways. Obviously now, I was given an opportunity to do more this year and I’m just trying to make the most of it, run with it and make the best of it.”
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