Julius Randle Shares Major Appreciation For Kobe Bryant's Impact On Him

The Timberwolves have some fantastic veterans, including Randle, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley Jr. They are seen as part of the leadership group because of their experience and on-court production.

All the veterans were once rookies who they learned from. For Randle, he had arguably the best player out of everyone on the Timberwolves roster with Kobe. As expected, Randle has always cherished those two years playing in Los Angeles with Bryant.

How Kobe Helped Randle Grow In The NBA

After getting drafted seventh overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, Randle was happy he played for the Lakers. It was a fantastic organization with an illustrious history. He also had the opportunity to play with and learn from a legend like Kobe. 

Unfortunately for Randle, his rookie season got off to a tragic start when he suffered a long-term injury in his first game. Thankfully for Julius, he had a strong support system on the Lakers, including Bryant.

As he matured in the league, Randle respected Bryant even more for helping Julius and other young players throughout his 20-season career. 

"The things that he passed down to me, the things that I learned from him. It may have not made sense when I was 19 or 20 years old but now that I’m 30 it makes a lot more sense," Randle said in practice ahead of the second round. "I used to be like what is this dude talking about, and now I get it a lot more. So I try to cherish those things, hold on to those things and I think the true blessing is being able to pass those things on to other."

Randle Is Doing His Best To Be A Leader For The Timberwolves

The Timberwolves are an intriguing team in the 2025 Playoffs. Anthony Edwards is the clear superstar, but he has a superb supporting cast that includes Randle. 

Julius is the second-best player on the team. Coach Chris Finch trusts him to make the big plays when Edwards has a bad shooting night, or he has a tremendous mismatch. 

Outside the court, Randle is a commanding voice in the locker room. Most people would follow Edwards or Conley, but Randle is also a respected leader.

He might have had a slow start to his stint in Minnesota, but he has bounced back tremendously. Randle is now one of the most beloved players on the team, and he is a fantastic veteran to have for the young players, akin to what Kobe did for him.