In 2019, Julius Randle decided to sign a three-year, $62.1 million contract with the New York Knicks in free agency, despite the team struggling mightily for years. It didn’t seem like the wisest decision at the time and during his recent appearance on the Roommates Show, Randle explained why he chose the Knicks.
“I really wanted to establish myself,” Randle said. “Obviously I wanted to be an All-Star, but I wanted to win here. I felt like, and this is not a shot at anyone, but New York was seen as a place that no one wanted to come to… I felt like it was that spirit Kobe’s Mamba Mentality in me, like, man, let me take on this challenge.”
“It’s easy to play for money and stuff like that, but for me it was more about legacy,” Randle continued. “Not how others looked at me, but if I’m done playing how can I look back on my career? Did I challenge myself? Did I push myself? And for me everything I wanted to imagine happening now. We’re not there yet, but You know we’re on the road.”