Julius Randle

Randle was raised by his mother, Carolyn Kyles, who played college basketball at the University of Texas. A devout Christian, Randle made a habit during his collegiate career of visiting the team chapel before every home contest.

He married Kendra Shaw in August 2017 after the couple welcomed their first son, Kyden, in 2016. The family expanded with the birth of their second son, Jayce, in October 2021, and they have three children together.

Randle attended Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas, where he emerged as one of the top recruits in the national class of 2013 alongside players such as Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, and Aaron Gordon. In August 2012, he won the Under Armour Elite 24 dunk contest and earned co-MVP honors in the Elite 24 game. Despite missing three months of his senior year with a fractured foot, he returned in March 2013 to guide Prestonwood to its third TAPPS 5A state championship in four years, averaging 32.5 points and 22.5 rebounds per game. In 2023, the school retired his number 30 jersey, making him the first athlete in Prestonwood history to receive the honor.

Randle committed to the University of Kentucky to play under head coach John Calipari. During his lone collegiate season in 2013-14, he started all 40 games and helped guide the Wildcats to the NCAA national championship game against the University of Connecticut. He posted 24 double-doubles, breaking the school freshman record previously shared by DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis, and finished second only to Dan Issel on Kentucky's single-season list. Randle averaged 15.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per contest, earning third-team All-American honors and SEC Rookie of the Year before declaring for the NBA draft.

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Randle with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. His rookie campaign ended almost immediately when he suffered a fractured right tibia just 14 minutes into the regular-season opener against the Houston Rockets on October 28, 2014. He returned for the 2015-16 season and developed into a focal point of the Lakers' frontcourt. In March 2016, at age 21, he recorded 13 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Denver Nuggets, becoming the youngest Lakers player to log a triple-double since Magic Johnson. During the 2017-18 season, he was the only player on the roster to appear in all 82 games, averaging 18.6 points and 9.1 rebounds as a starter.

After becoming an unrestricted free agent in July 2018, Randle signed a two-year contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. He made an immediate impact, posting 25 points off the bench in his team debut against Houston and recording a 21-point triple-double against the San Antonio Spurs. On March 15, 2019, he scored a career-high 45 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. He finished his lone season in New Orleans averaging 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game before declining his player option to test free agency.

Randle signed a three-year contract with the New York Knicks in July 2019. His second year in New York, the 2020-21 season, marked a major career breakthrough. Randle led the Knicks back to the playoffs while averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, earning his first All-Star selection, All-NBA Second Team honors, and the 2021 NBA Most Improved Player Award after capturing 98 of 100 first-place votes. Following that season, he agreed to a four-year contract extension with the franchise.

Randle maintained his productive form over subsequent seasons. On January 15, 2023, he tallied 42 points and 15 rebounds against the Detroit Pistons, becoming the first Knick to reach those marks in a game since Patrick Ewing in 1996. He was named to his second All-Star Game in February 2023, and on March 20, 2023, he erupted for a career-high 57 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the highest single-game scoring output by a Knick since Carmelo Anthony's 62 points in 2014. Randle earned a third All-Star nod in 2024 before a shoulder injury cut his season short in April.

In October 2024, Randle was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves alongside Donte DiVincenzo as part of a multi-team deal that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. During the 2024-25 season, Randle started 69 games and played a central role in Minnesota's postseason run to the Western Conference Finals. In Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals, he posted 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists against the Golden State Warriors, joining Kevin Garnett as the only players in Timberwolves franchise history to record a playoff triple-double.

After signing a contract extension with Minnesota in June 2025, Randle spent another season with the franchise before being moved to the Brooklyn Nets in July 2026 as part of a four-team trade.