Draft day is one of the most important days in a young basketball player’s life and one that he will never forget. It’s the day that he learns where he will be spending at least the next few years, and who his new coach will be. It’s also the day that he becomes an instant millionaire, which is a nice perk.
Given the somewhat surreal nature of the draft, it’s not surprising that the players in each class often form a bond, a sense of camaraderie that comes from shared experience. Regardless of what order their names get called in, they are all making an incredible leap, one they have prepared for their entire lives.
In the case of D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns, a friendship was cemented at the 2015 draft. Towns was the first overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves, while Russell’s name was called second by the Los Angeles Lakers. In a recent video from Draft Kings, the two talented young athletes sat down to reminisce about their experiences at the 2015 NBA Draft:
Both the Lakers and the Timberwolves are hoping to bounce back from disappointing 2015-2016 campaigns and get back in the playoff hunt. Their young stars will certainly be part of the effort, as will whoever they select in the 2016 draft, where the Lakers hold the second pick and the Wolves have the fifth.
Currently, the consensus opinion is that LSU’s Ben Simmons will be the first overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers, and that Duke’s Brandon Ingram will end up in Los Angeles with the Lakers. However, anything can happen at the NBA Draft, and we won’t know anything for certain until the picks are officially announced.