Julius Randle has recovered his All-Star status after a disappointing season last year, and he attributes his mental and physical turnaround to an offseason pep talk.
Randle was named an Eastern Conference reserve on Thursday, and the power forward said that a visit from assistant coach Johnnie Bryant last summer helped him make the necessary attitude adjustment after a 2021-22 season in which his play declined and he was combative with fans, officials, and teammates.
“He was discussing the previous year and said something to the effect of, ‘If you were your teammates and saw you acting the way you did at times, with your body language and your frustration, would you want to be your teammate?’” Randle commented on Bryant. “And I answered, ‘No.’
Therefore, I had to examine myself in the mirror, accept responsibility, improve, and learn from my mistakes.
Randle stated that he didn’t touch a basketball for a couple of months after the Knicks missed the playoffs last year, with his percentages falling across the board and him giving booing fans the middle finger and ordering them to “shut the f— up.”
Randle stated, “I was out of shape, and Bryant was like, ‘Don’t even worry about it.’” “Johnnie came to see me, and it felt more like big brother, little brother, holding me accountable, conversing with me, and setting my thoughts straight than anything else.
“He approached me and we had an open talk. And it assisted me in setting aside my ego and pride. And attempt to adjust my game, reflect on myself, and do what is best for the team.”
With the addition of $104 million point guard Jalen Brunson via free agency, less on-ball responsibility was placed on Randle this season, and the combination has thrived in guiding the Knicks to a 28-25 record, one game behind the Heat for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
As he acknowledged the “huge honor” of being named to the All-Star team for the second time in three years, Randle remarked, “The only thing that really stinks is that Jalen should be right here with me.”
And as Randle’s on-court demeanor has vastly improved this season, so have his statistics, with career highs of 24.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game while appearing in all 53 of the Knicks’ games prior to Saturday’s battle against the Clippers at Madison Square Garden.
Randle remarked, “Because I’m such a perfectionist, I can sometimes get caught up in my own thoughts.” “When things don’t go as planned, I can become a little frustrated. I must accept failure, accept these circumstances, and learn to cope with frustration.
“And I believe that is the most significant adjustment. I do not wish to relinquish the sensation of success. While we were experiencing ups and downs, I had to learn how to be a leader through both success and failure.
Randle’s play and demeanor have been “outstanding” this season, according to Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, and his return to the All-Star Game is “richly deserved.”
“Delighted for him and his loved ones. It’s his impact on our team and his contribution to our success. The manner in which he rebounded this season speaks volumes about him,” said Thibodeau. I believe that taking a step back from the previous year was beneficial for him.
“And then I said, and I’ve said this a lot, that I believe there was a lot of pressure last season because we had to play without a point guard.” I believe acquiring Jalen this year has been monumental for us… Understanding this, taking a step back, and stating, “Okay, he wants to do well” comes from a really nice place, in my opinion. Therefore, learn from it and recover.”
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