Julius Randle has been having a breakout year for the New York Knicks. He attributes his work ethic to some advise from Kobe Bryant.
Advertisement
The New York Knicks are in the middle of one of their best seasons in recent times. A major thanks for the same goes to Julius Randle. Randle, who was drafted in 2014 by the Los Angeles Lakers, is playing his 7th season in the league, and second in the Big Apple.
After being drafted at the 7th spot, Randle was looked at as the future of the Lakers. However, 14 minutes into the season opener, Randle broke his right tibia and was ruled out for the season.
After that, his journey with LA was full of inconsistency. He signed with the Pelicans in the 2018-19 season. There he became one of the three players, along with Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday to average over 20ppg for the season.
He moved to the Big Apple last season, fearing his role would get diminished with the addition of Zion Williamson. Here, he got his first All-Star nod and is averaging 23 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6 assists per game.
How Kobe Bryant still continues to inspire Julius Randle everyday
Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest players to step foot on the basketball court. He inspired an entire generation of players and was an idol to a lot of current-day players. As the Knicks beat the Lakers 111-96 last night, the story of a lesson Kobe gave to Randle surfaced.
When Randle was drafted, Kobe told him wherever the Lakers’ plane landed, whatever the time, Randle should find a gym and get some extra work in. Randle has not forgotten this lesson, as he still continues to do so to date. As of late, a few of his teammates have been joining him for the same as well.
The moment when the Athletic Director in the Detroit high school told him that the last player to do the same was Kobe, Randle had chills. He has passed on the same work ethic to his current teammates, and the result has been showing. The Knicks are currently 8th in the East.
