Every high school kid dreams of being able to follow their dreams with their best friends, but most aren't able to make it happen. Just two years removed from their own time in high school, Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell and Minnesota Timberwolves forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns are bucking that trend.
Following successful rookie seasons for both, Russell and Towns seem to be spending a substantial amount of time together of late. The two recently co-starred in an upcoming ad for Foot Locker alongside soon-to-be first overall pick Ben Simmons and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker.
After that, it looks like Russell and Towns checked an item off of every high school basketball player's bucket list of things to do with their friends, but few actually get to accomplish, when they flew in a private plane to attend Cleveland's game six NBA Finals win over the Golden State Warriors, which Russell posted about on his Instagram:
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The two phenoms' bond really does date back to high school, something Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News wonderfully portrayed in his feature story on the two's friendship from earlier this season:
"I wish him the best anytime he needs to talk to somebody," Towns said of Russell. "I've always been that brother. I'm rooting him on constantly and being that number one fan."
That happened even when Towns and Russell squared off in high school.
Russell led Montverde Academy, a prep school in central Florida, to a 79-70 victory over Towns' St. Joseph Metuchen (N.J.) on Feb. 2014. Russell posted 24 points and seven assists, while Towns had 22 points and 11 rebounds.
"We never let that go," Russell said, smiling.
But that competitive fire soon turned into a friendship.
So much that Towns called Russell "one of the best human beings on this planet." So much that Russell called Towns "a guy I would let my daughter date if I had one."
Russell may not have a daughter for Towns to romance, but the "bromance" between the last drafts top-two picks should be something fun to watch develop over the next two years as the Lakers and Timberwolves attempt to rise up in the Western Conference.
You can follow this author on Twitter at @hmfaigen.