Karl Anthony-Towns experienced in 2012 what many of us wish for. As a high schooler at the time, "KAT" played for the Dominican Republic's national team when he got the opportunity of a lifetime to share the court with the timeless Kobe Bryant and a prime LeBron James, who was getting ready to lead Team USA to its 14th gold medal.
Sharing the court with living legends
Three years later, Towns would go on to be picked first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves . But before having to go up against James and Bryant in the real games, Towns had the unforgettable opportunity of being a young starstruck fan playing in a Las Vegas exhibition game.
"I didn't have that welcome moment [in the NBA] with Kobe because I had already played Kobe in high school, when I played against The Dream Team V2 back in high school," said KAT in a recent interview. "It was him, [Le]Bron, Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler. I had played against them on the Dominican Republic National Team in Vegas. So I kind of had that moment already, like, wow, I'm on the court with Kobe Bryant."
Similar to what rising star prospect Cooper Flagg experienced earlier this summer playing against Team USA, Towns' picturesque moment was something he used to give him a head start over competing prospects in his class. Although he was already seen as one of the best rising collegiate athletes in the country, seeing what it is like to play NBA-level competition — the speed of the game, the strength of players, and the aura of a star-studded basketball court — was an invaluable learning experience.
An unbelievable moment
Watching your favorite athletes through a TV screen is one thing; watching your favorite athletes as a fan in the arena is something; but watching them while competing against them is almost a fantasy.
"It was cool to watch art be done by the artist in person," Towns recalled of watching Kobe and LeBron competing against him for the first time. "To be able to be on the court, having to study what they do, [and] wait for my moment to get it if I did, but it was a surreal moment to be able to be on the court with these legends. And to be able to be on the court with guys that I've spent hours and hours studying... and just watch their moves and watch the way they play the game of basketball."
It was a full-circle moment for the high school sensation, who was in awe of watching two of the game's icons on the hardwood. Towns was drafted just in time to catch Bryant's farewell voyage in the 2015-16 season. He tallied a 14-point double-double in his first meeting against the Los Angeles Lakers icon. Months later, KAT met James for the first time and scored 22 points on a razor-sharp 11-of-14 from the field.
From watching them on TV to scoring points against them a few years later in the NBA, the Timberwolves star has a story to tell for the rest of his life.
Related: Karl-Anthony Towns refutes stories that he is jealous of Anthony Edwards: "I'm the biggest Ant cheerleader"
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