When Julius Randle was named an all-star in 2021, he was just a 26-year-old in the middle of a breakout season with little outside expectations for how far his team could go.
In 2023, he’s a two-time all-star with an entire city on his back.
It’s been clear in a resurgent season for Randle that the New York Knicks go as he goes. After missing the playoffs last year in what Randle agreed to be a down season for himself, the Knicks are rolling again and their leader is “a lot better” for the experience.
Randle’s bounceback even earned him a surprise invite to Saturday’s 3-point contest as an injury replacement. And while his 13 points weren’t the worst showing of the participants, they were just bad enough to turn his adorable son Kyden into a meme for the night.
Kyden's reaction to his dad being eliminated in the #Starry3PT 😂 pic.twitter.com/DYnFoupFHB
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 19, 2023
Randle discussed that funny moment, his all-star experience and more with FTW in a conversation about his partnership with Starry, the NBA’s newest official soft drink.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
FTW: Give me a quick recap of the 3-point contest. What went right, what went wrong?
JR: It was fun. It was a last minute thing. So I just really wanted to go out there and have fun with it. You know, I practiced once the day before… From there, I could practice all day, it ain’t gone make no difference at this point. So I just wanted to go out there and have fun with my kids, family, everybody have fun watching me do it. And yeah, it was a good night.
FTW: Some of the photos of your son went viral. What did you think of that?
Julius Randle's son after Randle's three-point contest appearance: pic.twitter.com/5sd5adAMio
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 19, 2023
JR: (Laughs) Hilarious, man. He’s super competitive. I think I’m competitive, he might be more competitive than me. In my mind, I was just trying to have fun. But I was like, maybe I should have locked in a little bit more for him, because he was hurt by it. He wanted me to win bad.
FTW: What's the hardest part about a contest like that, or something you didn't expect?
JR: It’s different than shooting in a game, just a lot of sitting around waiting. There’s contests before, and then you’re sitting there, you’re watching other dudes shoot, then you shoot. And then right before mine, they decided to go on commercial break, so I’m sitting there for another 2-3 minutes waiting for my turn.
So, it’s just different man. You got to hope you catch a rhythm early and you got to pace yourself. It’s also tough too because it’s a lot of shots in that amount of time. I didn’t even finish my last shot. So you also got to keep up on pace and stuff. So it’s definitely a different competition, but under those lights and with all those fans watching, for me, it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it.
FTW: You're an all-star again after a year off. Would you say you had a down year?
JR: For me, and the expectation that people have for me, and especially the expectation that I have for myself, I felt like I wasn’t at my best and definitely could have played better [in 2021-22]. But it’s all learning experiences. I learned a lot not only about my game, but also about myself. So it was not necessarily fun, but it was a lot to be learned and I think I got a lot better from it.
FTW: The Knicks seem to go as you go...
JR: Well, as a leader of a team, that’s usually how it goes. So for me, I just try to be as consistent as possible. Not with just my game, my attitude, leadership, all that different type of things to try to be consistent as possible. It’s really about the team at the end of the day. I know I’m here at All-Star, but the team is what comes first. So, just trying to put other people first, try to take care of my guys. I want to make sure they’re good, make sure everybody eats. That’s what it’s about.
FTW: What's the All-Star experience been like, how is Salt Lake City?
JR: Well, this is really my first real all-star experience. It’s been crazy to say the least. It’s non-stop, no sleep, constantly on the go. But it’s also, I’m kind of staying a little bit out, in Park City. So, you know, being able to see the mountains for me and just breathe some fresh air, just get away. It’s been cool.
FTW: Before you take the floor for the game, what's playing in your headphones?
JR: I’m still listening to that Her Loss [by Drake and 21 Savage].
FTW: Tell me a little about Starry and joining the Starry team.
JR: Starry, it hits different. It’s the new lemon-lime flavored soda from Pepsi Co., and the new official soft drink of the league. So why wouldn’t I want to be a part of it?
