Master and apprentice: Veteran hand to guide Rocco's rise

A veteran at 37. A prospect at 19.

Joe Ingles and Rocco Zikarsky are miles apart in age, but now side by side in the NBA.

As teammates at the Minnesota Timberwolves, the experienced leader and promising young gun are a perfect fit, with Ingles ready to guide the next generation.

“I think it's great,” Zikarsky said of pairing up with Ingles. “Not only to have an Aussie on the roster, but for it to be a vet who’s put himself out there and become a mainstay in the NBA because of who he is.

“To have someone like him in my corner is going to be bloody awesome.”

Ingles, a stalwart of the Australian national team, is gearing up for his 12th NBA season. His resume also includes extensive time in the EuroLeague, adding another layer to his wealth of experience.

Zikarsky is only beginning his professional journey, but already stands out as a central figure in the next generation of Boomers talent.

The towering 7’3” prospect has already shown flashes of potential at Summer League in Vegas, making the most of his limited minutes on court.

Now he’s eager to soak up knowledge from some of the NBA’s elite, including four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.

“Obviously to learn off Rudy Gobert, and there are still so many guys out there like Naz Reid as well. Learning off him, seeing how Ant (Anthony Edwards) plays and trains and carries himself — those are the things that I'm really excited to understand more,” Zikarsky said.

“I'm excited. I like playing in front of a crowd and I'm just excited to finally put on a Timberwolves jersey and get out there.

“I'm still learning everything and I'm grateful to have a lot of guys that have been there and done that before.

“It's definitely an adjustment and it's slowly coming along, but yeah, it still feels pretty surreal.”

The 2025 NBA Summer League starts from July 11, Australian time, with exclusive interviews and insights available on the NBL App and NBL.com.au.