Knicks Fans Want Someone to Love. Julius Randle May Be Their Guy.

One of Julius Randle’s earliest tormentors on the basketball court was his mother, Carolyn Kyles. Once, when Randle was in fourth grade, Kyles teamed up with Randle’s older sister, Nastassia Caldwell, in a game of two-on-two against Randle and one of his friends.

“I was throwing hook shots on him,” said Kyles, who once played for the University of Texas at Arlington. “She was passing me the ball and I’m knocking him around and he got so mad because they were losing. And I threw his sister the ball and he went up to her and just slammed her down on the court after blocking her shot. I’m like, ‘Really, Julius?’”

She added: “I couldn’t take it easy on him. I had to teach him how to stay strong on the court.”

Now, Randle is the bully. A bulky 26-year-old in his seventh N.B.A. season, he has made a living in the league by combining an overpowering 6-foot-8 physique with finesse to outwork taller players.

“How I approach the game, and how I play hard and try to leave everything out there on the court, I get from her,” Randle said of his mother.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/sports/basketball/julius-randle-knicks.html