Knicks All-Star Julius Randle opened up about his NBA journey, Mamba’s influence and his future with the New York Knicks in his latest article for The Players’ Tribune.
After suffering a broken right leg in his NBA debut for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2014, Randle has ascended to NBA All-Stardom for the Knicks. And if it wasn’t clear already, he made it known that he wants to be in New York for the long-term.
Randle’s path to New York was anything but conventional after breaking his tibia in the 4th quarter of his Lakers debut. As a result, his rookie season was immediately laced with uncertainty.
“One of the consequences of missing that year is how it delayed all these NBA ‘firsts,'” Randle said in the Players’ Tribune piece. “All these different little dreams you had since you were a kid, about making it to the league — that all gets put on pause for a season. And meanwhile you’re sitting there courtside, in street clothes, watching it happen. It’s like you’re so close to it but so far away. It’s tough, man.”
Once Randle eventually returned from injury in 2015 the following season, the pressure to make up for lost time was mounting. Having grown up in Dallas, Randle was excited to return his sophomore season and play his first NBA game in his hometown against the Mavericks.
“I grew up in Dallas, so I had this early-season road game against the Mavericks circled on my calendar. I was excited. Excited to feel that sense of accomplishment, of being that kid from your neighborhood growing up who made it to the league.”
Mamba Mentality in Dallas
As a 20-year-old finally returning to NBA action in his hometown, Randle was eager to spend his off day with family and friends in Dallas.
Randle’s teammate, Kobe Bryant, knew exactly what was going on in Randle’s head.
“We’re coming up on the hotel in Dallas, and Kobe turns to me and he goes, ‘Julius, what you bout to do,'” Randle said. “I’m like, ‘I’m about to see my family, chill with some friends, you know. Have a night.'”
“And Kobe, he just cuts me off. He’s like, ‘Nah. We’re going to the gym.'”
Bryant knew that Randle was in his hometown and eager to have a night off – that was the point.
“Of course he knew,” Randle said. “But that wasn’t him being a bad dude or anything. It was more like — it was him trying to use the situation to teach me a lesson. The lesson being: To get to the next level in this league, you can’t be putting in that next level of work only some of the time. Has to be all of the time. No such thing as sacrifice without sacrifice.”
Sacrifice.
Mamba’s message of sacrifice stuck with Randle throughout the many obstacles that the budding star has faced in his career. Hard work has become Randle’s routine, as proven by his improvement each season. Everything came full circle last year when Randle and the Knicks faced the Pistons in Detroit.
“So we’re in Detroit last season, on a road trip. And we fly in, I grab my bags, and like I said: it’s been my routine ever since that night in Dallas. Get off the plane, head to the gym. Get off the plane, head to the gym. Get off the plane, head to the gym,” Randle said.
Clockwork.
“Like clockwork,” Randle said of the new workout ethic Bryant instilled in him. “Every city, though, it’s a new situation — there’s different places available. So what I’ll do is, I’ll have the team set up a spot in advance. And that way I can go straight there, however late it is, and get my workout in.”
Randle’s got an old school game, so it’s not surprising he prefers working out in old school gyms. For the trip to Detroit, the Knicks contacted a local high school gym that Randle could get his work done in before the game.
“I love gyms like that — simple and old school,” he said. “And I get to the building, and the guy who was there to let me in, I think he’s the athletic director of that school, we start talking a little bit. And he’s like, ‘It’s good to see you. Guys don’t really show up here to work out anymore. Matter of fact, the last guy to come in this late to shoot — man, that must have been years ago. It was Kobe.'”
Hearing Kobe’s name gave Randle chills, it was a moment he’ll never forget only a month after Kobe passed away. It assured Randle that the hard work he was putting in was being done for a reason.
‘GET BETTER’
Randle always felt blessed to have had Kobe Bryant as a teammate, even if only for a short period of time. He also always knew that the goal for any NBA player was to improve, but Mamba’s message was deeper than that.
“I think I’ve always known what a blessing it was that I got to be teammates with Kobe for his last two years in the league. But there’s knowing…. and then there’s understanding,” Randle said. “And I think this year, for the first time, I’ve really understood why Kobe mentored younger players like me. Not just so we could flourish ourselves, but so we could pass down what we learned to other players as well. I think that’s a huge part of his legacy, especially in those last few years.”
And for Randle, his growth as a leader has been matched by the young Knicks players’ drive to learn.
“What I love about this season’s Knicks, man, is how we have a group of young guys that’s just ready to GET BETTER like that. It’s a group that’s ready to work. It’s a group that’s trying to soak up knowledge like a sponge. And whereas last year I might have been going off to get my work in on my own — this year, when we land in a city?? Pretty much the whole squad is going to the gym.”
Collective Purpose
Randle is the first one to admit that he was disappointed in the season he had last year. After inking a three-year, $62 million dollar deal with the Knicks last season, Randle felt intense pressure to score. Intrusive thoughts ran through his head nightly, telling him that he was getting paid that money to get buckets.
“They’re expecting you to get your 25-to-30 tonight. That’s your JOB. So go and do your job,” Randle said in the article.
For die-hard Knicks fans and for Randle, though, it feels like something special is brewing in New York this season. What Randle has done with the help of new Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is incredible. Randle has flipped-the-script on his own reputation and has helped the Knicks organization rebuild its respectability across the league – and they didn’t need to chase Kyrie and KD to do it. And Randle is damn proud of it.
“I’m damn proud to be a Knick.”
– Julius Randle/The Players’ Tribune
Stay tuned to Knicksfantv.com for the latest Knicks news and rumors throughout the season and as the NBA trade deadline approaches. Also, check out CP from KnicksFanTV react to Randle’s All-Star selection below.
