Karl-Anthony Towns rose up for this slam in Rising Stars Challenge (Video)

Feb 12, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; U.S player Karl-Anthony Towns (32) prepares to shoot the ball as World player Emmanuel Mudiay (0) defends in the first half during the Rising Stars Challenge basketball game at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Karl-Anthony Towns rose up to put home the slam dunk on an excellent lob from Marcus Smart.

The Rising Stars Challenge is one of the most exciting events during All-Star Weekend since it gives fans a glimpse of the league’s future talent. Few people knew who Rudy Gobert was before last year’s Rising Stars game when he put up a double-double.

But while Karl-Anthony Towns, the proverbial choice for Rookie of the Year, didn’t need to raise his stock any further, he did so anyway when he jumped high in the air off of the feed from Marcus Smart:

"Smart up top to Towns, who rose for the JAM for USA in this uptempo, high scoring affair! #NBARapidReplay https://t.co/RPNmzDN0Ec— NBA (@NBA) February 13, 2016"

Granted, nobody plays defense in the Rising Stars game but that was impressive. It would be interesting to see how these team would actually stack up against the rest of the league.

These two are some of the best rising talents in the NBA already, with Smart likely to be playoff-bound for the second straight year. For Towns, many have compared him to Kevin Garnett so it helps to have them on the same team. For the Timberwolves, it will take a bit longer for them to be a competitive team again, but they certainly have all the right pieces in place, and at least they’re fielding an exciting product.

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