Julius Randle On 2014 Comparison To Shaquille O’Neal: “I Don’t Want To Be The Next Shaq. I Want To Be The Next Kobe.”
Julius Randle has come a long way since the 2014 Draft. After making his rounds in L.A., then New Orleans, Julius signed with the Knicks in 2019, and has blossomed into a star before our very eyes.
Following his first All-Star appearance, and amid a 6-game win streak for his team, fans are looking back to Randle’s past, when he expressed his desire to become “the next Kobe.”
“People used to tell me I’m going to be the next Shaq. I said, ‘I don’t want to be the next Shaq. I want to be the next Kobe.’ I always dribbled the ball everywhere I went.”
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Obviously, Julius hasn’t quite reached that level yet, and he’s got a long way to go, and a whole lot of winning to do, before he can get there.
But the point stands that Randle has always looked up to his former teammate, and Kobe may have actually played a role in how Julius has developed his game over the years. Among other things, he taught him the value of having a strong work ethic, and always striving for greatness.
Now, even after Bryant’s death in 2020, we’re being reminded of the impact and impression he made on those around him. And, for Randle, the Bean was a guy he looked up to, a guy he wanted to become.
In that aspect, he certainly isn’t alone…
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