KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — This unlikely pair on the basketball court is proof you are never too old to learn something new.
"I taught him how to dribble and how to make shots and how to cross over," Nathaniel said.
"He's taught me a lot of things, and how to put ice on my knees after we're through playing," Tim Murrell laughed.
Murrell was going through a tough transition when he met 8-year-old Nathaniel.
"It was hard to adjust being empty nesters, and this is like getting to start all over again," Murrell said.
The two were matched through Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee.
More than 100 children are on the waiting list for mentors, but there are not enough volunteers.
"It wasn't a hit, it wasn't a home run, it was a grand slam. I couldn't ask for a better little brother," Murrell said.
Tim and Nathaniel like a little friendly competition.
"He beats me in Connect Four. I've never beat him yet, well, he let me win one time," Murrell laughed.
And they have a lot in common. Both love puppets.
"My favorite, favorite, favorite puppet is Tim, and he looks just like Tim," Nathaniel said.
"I love coming to see his friends, too," said Murrell. "They let me sit at their lunch table."
It is becoming the new norm when Tim visits Nathaniel at school.
"This match has meant as much to me, maybe more than maybe to him," Murrell said. "It's very fulfilling."
A blossoming friendship that neither of them expected.
"I got him, and now he's my big, big brother," Nathaniel smiled.
Click here to become a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee.