Julius Randle 2024: Early Life and Background, High School, Personal Life and Beliefs

Julius Deion Randle is an NBA player who plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2014 with their seventh overall pick. His career trajectory since then has recorded accomplished stints with the New Orleans Pelicans and the New York Knicks. In 2024, he started plying his trade for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Early Life and Background

Julius Randle was born on November 29,1994, in Dallas, Texas. He was raised by his mother Carolyn Kyles, who also notably played basketball in Texas. He demonstrated his talent in basketball early which led to a distinguished high school and college career.

High School Career

He attended Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas and was regarded as a top-five player in the 2013 class, competing alongside notable players like Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker.

To add to his achievements, he won the Under Armour Elite 24 Dunk Contest and was named MVP of the Elite 24 game in 2012., Most importantly, he led his team to multiple state championships, averaging 32.5 points and 22.5 rebounds per game as a senior.

College Career at Kentucky

Randle began his college career with the Kentucky Wildcats, where he played just one season. He helped Kentucky reach the NCAA Championship game, earning 24 double-doubles in a season, setting a record for a Kentucky freshman. His breakthrough began to take shape after he was named a third-team All-American and one of the 10 semi-finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year.

With a remarkable stat line of 15 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, he won multiple awards and impressed NBA scouts, leading to his being a top-10 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

NBA Journey

In his rookie season, Randle played just one game and was on the sidelines mostly because of a broken tibia. He returned strongly from the setback as he set records as one of the youngest Lakers players to achieve a triple-double. He played three seasons with the Lakers and showed steady growth each year. Despite that, they let him go, and he then signed a two-year deal with the Pelicans.

This is where he truly found his stride. Randle averaged career highs and achieved multiple triple-doubles. The highlight of his stint in the Pelicans came when he scored a career-high 45 points in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

With his stats he knew he could play for a better team. So, in the following off-season, he rejected his player option and then signed a three-year deal with the Knicks.

In July 2019, Randle joined the Knicks as their marquee free agent signing. The Knicks received a lot of stick since they were linked with bigger names but ended up with Randle. But the former Kentucky star used this as motivation and had a bright start to his Knicks career. In his first season, he averaged 19.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, despite the Knicks poor season overall.

But in his second season, the arrival of a new coach Tom Thibodeau helped him improve further. He averaged career highs in points and assists and also became a sharpshooter. Randle stepped up as a true leader of the team, as their main scorer and also their primary playmaker.

This new role helped the Knicks finish as the fourth seed, their best finish regular season since 2012-13.

Randle was named the NBA Most Improved Player at the end of the regular season. He also clinched his entry into the All-NBA Second Team as a forward. Despite his prowess in the regular season, Randle struggled in the playoffs where the Atlanta Hawks handed a swift defeat to the Knicks in the 2021 playoffs.

The Knicks extended his contract in August of 2021 with a four-year $117 million extension. Despite starting out strong the following season, it ended on a grim note as he was out for the rest of the season due to a quad injury.

On January 2023, he made history as he put up at least 40 points and 15 rebounds in a game since Patrick Ewing in 1996. He had a few stellar seasons. Unfortunately, his injury problems showed up again as he missed a huge chunk of the 2024 season due to a shoulder injury.

After some injury-riddled campaigns for the Knicks, it was time for a change for Randle. On October 2024, Randle was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a three-team trade with the Charlotte Hornets.

National Team Career

He joined the US Select Team in 2016, where he trained with the USA Olympic Team.

Personal Life and Beliefs

Julius Randle is known for his Christian faith. He regularly attended chapel in college. Randle married Kendra Shaw. In December 2016, the couple welcomed a son to the fold.