Julius Randle’s dream was not just to do the NBA. He became an NBA All-Star.
The dream has come true as Randle has been named a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team as a reserve to culminate his career year in his second season with the Knicks.
Randle will become the first Knicks player to participate in an All-Star Game since Carmelo Anthony in 2017. This year’s All-Star Game is scheduled for March 7 in Atlanta.
Among the eastern reserves among the front court players were Jayson Tatum and Nikola Vucevic. Randle defeated Domantas Sabonis of Indiana, Bam Adebayo of Miami and Tobias Harris of Philly.
Kristaps Porzingis was named a member of the All-Star team in 2018, but never made it to the competition. Shortly after being named, he broke his ACL and never played another game for the Knicks.
“It would mean a lot,” Randle said Tuesday after the Knicks ’morning shootout, hours before the revelation. “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 it. Without a doubt, it would be a milestone. “
League coaches voted Randle and the Knicks striker had the feeling he had earned his respect for all the doubles teams he has faced this season on the road to race numbers.
Randle has played in 31 games this season, recording professional highs in points (23.2), rebounds (11.0), assists (5.5) and minutes (36.8). He entered the season after a boring first year as a commercial bait, but now he’s not. The Post has learned that Randle is considered a part of the future and the Knicks have no desire to move him with his $ 20 million team option. Randle is a client of the Creative Artists Agency, which Knicks president Leon Rose used to run.
“I think I get this validation as [opposing coaches] touch me every night, ”Randle said. “With the double teams. How they try to plan the game. All this kind of stuff. Viously, obviously, the head of All-Star would be amazing. All the players strive to do that. “
Randle said if he got it, he would have decided on his “impact on winning.” With an understated roster, the Knicks entered Tuesday’s game against the Warriors 15-16. In fact, they would be much worse off without their nocturnal dominance that has included their improvement from the three-point line, and in their decision-making and leadership. Randle hasn’t made it to the playoffs in his first six seasons, but that could change as well.
“Just as you grow as a player throughout your career, you learn to do the little things to help win the team,” Randle said. “Coach [Tom Thibodeau] he has done a great job training me, putting me in those positions. And we win, having those numbers. But I think a lot of people maybe, before the year, maybe they counted on us as a team and said we wouldn’t go as well as a team. We are going around a lot individually, so it probably has something to do with it as well. “