Knicks power forward Julius Randle did not land a triple-double, but he did pull the triple crown on All-Star Sunday.
He competed in the Skills competition, was used as a prop in the Slam Dunk contest, and played 13 minutes in his first All-Star Game.
In limited proceedings on the main occasion, Randall scored four opening buckets – one on a driving powerhouse dunk – for four points and Donwan Mitchell tossed an Elle-opp pass for a dunk.
“It was a long day,” Randall said. ‘I will not lie.’ ‘
After playing in all of the Knicks’ games in the game and leading the NBA in minutes, he was retreating, as his team Durant suffered a 170-150 defeat to Team LeBron.
“That’s a great thing,” Randall said of his limited minutes. “I lead the league in minutes. That’s a great thing. Trust me, I’m fine.
“It was great. I definitely imagine being a part of it. I had so much fun, [was] Excited. It’s something I want to be a lot more part of. It was a great experience, conversation. This is an experience I will never forget – first. ”
Halftime Knicks rookie Obi Toppin called Randall to stay with his father so he could jump between the two.
“I had faith,” Randall said. “He did it 10 times [Saturday]. [Saturday], I was in anxiety. Today, he did so, I had nothing to worry about. ”
Last March 11, Randall was at a low point when he realized his first season as Nick had ended up due to an epidemic, with short cuts to turn around his disappointing season.
Flash a year later, and Randall and family were in Atlanta this weekend. His wife Kendra, whom he met in Kentucky, and 4-year-old son Kidden were sitting on the courtside at State Farm Arena on Sunday night.
It can change lives just as fast as Nick.
“He’s having fun,” Randall said of his son. “He definitely knows it’s something that isn’t normal and cool. He definitely loves it. Tell him he’s an All-Star Kid. He is enjoying. ”
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said entering the All-Star Break Randall is playing like an “N-NBA player”. Three All-NBA teams are announced after the season and Randall’s number – if he continues – could easily get him there if the Knicks make the playoffs.
Randall, 26, admitted on a recent podcast that when learning coaches voted him as an all-star reserve for the Eastern Conference.
Randall said Sunday that the more he was named All-Star, the more he traveled. “Seven years of travel, travel and process in the league so far, year after year and grind through process, hard work, sacrifice, commitment. It made me reflect and appreciate it more than anything else. ”
The Knicks are fifth in the East because of Randall’s desire for iron.
Don’t miss a single game. He averaged 23.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists. He has spent the last two weeks in deep thought on how he disappointed himself in failing as a leader in his first season during last season’s Knicks mess.
You can now call the Knicks leader, Captain Randall, although Thibodeau does not believe in conferring titles.
“It means a lot – it’s a responsibility I really enjoy,” Randall said. “There’s a lot to be said about my leadership style, but I’m trying to draw by example – how I approach work and how I study the game. Do things right. To me that is a very big responsibility. Hopefully in the second part I will continue to do that and be the best leader I can be. Hopefully, that translates to winning. ”
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