Kobe Bryant’s legacy will live on through the NBA players he touched. Look no further than Julius Randle.
The Knicks forward played alongside Bryant with the Lakers from 2014 to 2016 while Bryant was putting the finishing touches on a career in the Hall of Fame. Randle brought some important lessons from Los Angeles to New York and carried on a specific tradition that Bryant passed on to him.
During Monday night’s game between Knicks and Lakers, MSG Network’s Rebecca Haarlow explained how Bryant’s spirit continues to push Randle to improve.
“It was Bryant who taught him that whenever you land in the next town for the next game, you go to the gym to take shots before you go to the hotel, no matter how late or how uncomfortable it may be,” said Haarlow. “It’s the game, and it’s the work that comes first. Well, last spring, not long after Bryant’s death, Randle landed in Detroit. It was late at night. The Knicks found a local high school that has agreed to stay open late Randle could get that job.
“When he arrived, the high school athletic director was waiting for him and said, ‘It’s good to see you. The kids don’t show up here anymore to do that kind of work. In fact, the last guy to come in and shoot late in this one. It was Kobe. Randle said the moment gave him the chills, that it was really emotional. “