Julius Randle’s dream was not just to make the NBA. It was becoming an NBA All-Star.
The dream came true as Randle was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team as a reserve to clinch his career year in his second season with the Knicks.
Randle becomes the first Knicks player to participate in an All-Star Game since Carmelo Anthony in 2017. This year, the All-Star Game is planned in Atlanta.
The eastern reserves among forwards were Jayson Tatum and Nikola Vucevic. Randle beat Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis, Miami’s Bam Adebayo and Philly’s Tobias Harris.
Kristaps Porzingis was named the All-Star team in 2018, but never made it. Shortly after being named, he tore his ACL and never played a game for the Knicks again.
“That would mean a lot,” Randle said Tuesday after the Knicks’ morning shooting, hours before the unveiling. “My goal was never just to play in the NBA. I always felt like I would get there. I just wanted to be the best player I could be and reach my potential. And I try to push myself every day to do that. That would definitely be a milestone. ”
The coaches of the league agreed with Randle, and the Knicks power forward knew he had earned their respect through all the doubles teams he faced this season on his way to career numbers.
Randle has played in all 31 games so far this season, scoring his careers in points (23.2), rebounds (11.0), assists (5.5) and minutes (36.8). He entered the season as a trader after a dull first year, but now he is anything but. The Post has learned that Randle is considered a part of the future, and the Knicks do not want to move him, with his team option at $ 20 million. Randle is a client of the Creative Artists Agency – which used Knicks’ president Leon Rose.
‘I think I get the validity how [opposing coaches] play me every night, ”Randle said. ‘With the double teams. How they try to make a game plan. All that kind of stuff. Clearly, the All-Star nod will be great. Every player strives to do that. ”
Randle said if he were to achieve that, the ‘impact on winning’ would be determined. With a light-hearted position, the Knicks entered the game against the Warriors 15-16 on Tuesday. Indeed, they would be much worse off without his nocturnal dominance which includes improving the 3-point line and his decision-making and leadership. Randle did not make the playoffs in his first six seasons, but that could change as well.
“Just as you grow through the course of your career as a player, you learn how to do the little things to help the team win,” Randle said. ‘Coach [Tom Thibodeau] did an excellent job of training me and putting me in those positions. And we win, with the numbers. But I think a lot of people might have counted us as a team before the year and said we were not going to be as good as a team. We turn a lot of head on a game-to-game basis, so that probably has to do with that, too. ”