Julius Randle recalls lessons learned from Kobe Bryant as he aims to mentor young Nets teammates

NEW YORK (AP) — Julius Randle was instrumental in the revival of the New York Knicks before he was traded to Minnesota and helped the Timberwolves reach the Western Conference finals.

Back in New York after being traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Randle quickly realized he was surrounded by young players who could benefit from his experience. It made him think back to his early NBA days with the Los Angeles Lakers as a teammate of Kobe Bryant.

“An example for me when I was that age earlier in my career, I had the best example you could have in Kobe,” Randle said Monday. “And I feel like those lessons and just that example that he set for me, that’s carried me throughout my career to where I can be here in Year 13 and I am still trying to improve every single day, get better every single day.”

Randle, 31, was acquired from the Timberwolves in a four-team trade that involved Charlotte sending LaMelo Ball to Minnesota. He raved about the Nets’ young nucleus, including 6-foot-8 guard Egor Demin, who is entering his second season, and guard Mikel Brown Jr., who was taken with the No. 6 pick in this year's draft.

The Nets had an NBA-record five first-round picks in the 2025 draft and went 20-62 last season. They have lost at least 50 games in each of their last three seasons.

But the Knicks had been terrible before Randle guided them to the 2021 playoffs after a seven-year drought. Getting the Nets to the postseason would require helping the young players grow up quickly, and the power forward noticed during a team-bonding summer golf outing in Dallas, his hometown, they needed to learn a thing or two.

“Well, they’re kids, first and foremost," Randle said. "I learned that really, really fast on the golf course and third hole in they were trying to take their shirts off and it’s just like they didn’t understand golf etiquette.

“Mikel broke a club, a driver on one of the holes. I learned really fast that I am dealing with kids. They’re so eager to learn and get better. They’re obviously extremely talented.”

Brown said Randle's story wasn't true but Demin admitted they “broke a couple of clubs.”

Randle has already seen in pickup games how much they know on the court. He has been impressed with the way Brown, who played at Louisville, can “make every single read” in the pick-and-roll.

He is high on Demin's athleticism and shooting efficiency, seeing how playing in Spain at a young age helped him transition his game to the NBA after one year at BYU.

Like other young players Randle has come across since Bryant’s death in 2020, both have asked about the two years he spent alongside the Hall of Famer after arriving in Los Angeles at 19 as the No. 7 pick in the 2014 draft.

“It’s the biggest blessing being around him and being able to carry those lessons into my daily life,” Randle said. “It’s become part of who I am, become part of my fabric and I try to carry. I get those questions all the time and when you’re around somebody that great and they teach you all that he’s taught me, the biggest thing I can do is pass it along.”

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