Kris Dunn poses with Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 23, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Mike Stobe/Getty Images/AFP
Kris Dunn joins the youth revolution in Minnesota as a part of the Timberwolves’ promising core.
“Coming in and they’re still young, I think we could build a nice relationship as we try to learn together,” he said through Cisco Telepresence on Friday.
Dunn was the first point guard off of the big board as the Timberwolves nabbed him at fifth in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Though some think he may be fighting for minutes against Ricky Rubio and Tyus Jones, the 22-year-old guard could only feel electricity at the chance to take the court with young studs like Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Zach Lavine.
“I think having those young players on the team will make my adjustment easier,” he said. “I think our game jells very well because we’re all athletic guards and we like to play up-tempo. I think it’s going to be pretty good.”
But more than anything, Dunn is happy to start this new chapter of his life after earning his college degree in social sciences.
“The reason why I came back to school is to get my college degree. Basketball is something I could get back on, and I want to be a role model for my two sisters, going to college and graduating. That should be a norm for my family. I had great teammates and I wanted to be a kid one more time before I get to this lifestyle,” he said.
And before the 6-foot-4 playmaker braces for the tougher road ahead in the NBA, Dunn just wants to savor this moment with his family.
“It means a lot,” he said. “This moment is really pretty special because my dreams just became reality, but the biggest thing is make my family proud. They deserve this moment.”