Before Julius Randle became a three-time All-Star and the emotional engine behind Minnesotas playoff push, he was a wide-eyed rookie in Los Angeles learning what it meant to share the court with a legend.
Randle recently opened up about his time alongside Kobe Bryant, recalling both the awe and the harsh lessons that shaped his career.
Id probably say every day I shared the court with Kobe, Randle said speaking on The Young Man and The Three podcast. And just because growing up being a Laker fan, not having cable as a kid and you only have like the local channels or whatever. So the Lakers were the only team that played on national television most of the time. So growing up seeing that and being a Kobe fan, being a Laker fan and then getting drafted by the Lakers and playing, sharing a court with him every single day, it didnt feel real. It was surreal, it was like, Is this person real? Is he human? Every time he said anything, did anything, youre watching his every single move. Youre on the plane and youre like, Oh shit, Kobes getting up to go to the bathroom. Its one of those type feelings, thats probably the last time I felt like that.
Sharing a court with him every single day, it didnt feel real Julius Randle talking about playing with Kobe is beautiful pic.twitter.com/UpntwuI03H
TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) November 7, 2025
Bryants intensity and competitive fire were legendary, and Randle admitted that being on the receiving end of that energy wasnt always easy.
It was painful, it was painful. Many of times cussed me out and it stuck with me. I would go home, it would ruin my day, Randle continued. It was like me coming home from school and my mom getting on me or something like that. You got this guy whos your idol and you dont want to do anything to disappoint him. You have that type of feeling and hes like, Motherf-, f are you doing? Get in the gym! But, that type of tough love is what I needed early in my career and it helped me to be where I am now.
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