Before Julius Randle became a three-time All-Star and the emotional engine behind Minnesota’s 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.
“I’d 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 didn’t feel real. It was surreal, it was like, ‘Is this person real? Is he human?’ Every time he said anything, did anything, you’re watching his every single move. You’re on the plane and you’re like, ‘Oh shit, Kobe’s getting up to go to the bathroom.’ It’s one of those type feelings, that’s probably the last time I felt like that.”
“Sharing a court with him every single day, it didn’t feel real” — Julius Randle talking about playing with Kobe is beautiful pic.twitter.com/UpntwuI03H
— TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) November 7, 2025
Bryant’s intensity and competitive fire were legendary, and Randle admitted that being on the receiving end of that energy wasn’t 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 who’s your idol and you don’t want to do anything to disappoint him. You have that type of feeling and he’s 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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