Knicks star Julius Randle is living his best life in New York City but if he had it his way, he may never have left the Lakers all those years ago. Speaking on ‘The Roommates Show’ with Jalen Brunson, Randle revealed that he never wanted to leave the Lakers and hoped to follow in the footsteps of Kobe Bryant before being traded.
“I only wanted to play for the Lakers when I got there,” Randle said. “I was like – I wanted that Kobe, 20 years, play for one organization type thing. And I remember my agent lookin’ at me. He was like – I was young and naive – and he lookin’ at me, he like, ‘Bro, I want that for you too, but that s— really just don’t happen much. And I’m like, ‘Man, you don’t know me. I’m doin’ it.’”
Kobe Bryant is a Lakers legend who spent all 20 years of his career in the Purple and Gold. As a 5x champion, former MVP, and 18x All-Star, Bryant’s career was legendary and it stands today as one of the shining examples of success in the NBA.
Even back then, it was difficult to stay on one team for a long time but Bryant was loyal until the end and he was rewarded for it with a max salary and a massive retirement tour during his final season.
Julius Randle was only a Laker for four years before he was traded to the Pelicans. Despite his willingness to stay, and some early signs of stardom, the Lakers had no choice but to give up Randle in their pursuit of Anthony Davis and it’s a move that paid off when they won the championship the following summer.
The Lakers Miss Julius Randle
Julius Randle was drafted by the Lakers back in 2014 and they had big expectations for him as the 7th overall pick. after suffering a devastating leg injury in his very first game, Randle would go on to miss the entirety of his rookie campaign. By the time he returned the next season, nobody was sure what to expect but he played pretty well given the circumstances with averages of 11.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks per game on 42% shooting.
But since being traded, Randle has really come into his own. First in New Orleans and now in New York, Julius has become a bona fide All-Star with a game that many consider to be among the top 20 in the league. This season, his third as an All-Star, Randle is averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game on 47% shooting.
While Randle is not scheduled to return to the Lake Show, they could use somebody like him right now. At 9th in the West, Los Angeles is looking for any way to improve their odds heading into the postseason and the margin for error couldn’t be slimmer.
Instead, the Lakers will just have to get by on who they’ve got and it remains to be seen if they have enough. This season, Randle and the Knicks could very much outperform the Knickerbockers and it’s a twist that nobody would have seen coming a few years back.
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