Julius Randle to “Bug” Kobe Bryant With Questions

Julius Randle couldn’t stop smiling after being selected by the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s thrilled to join the organization and there’s a certain teammate who he can’t wait to learn from: Kobe Bryant.

“I couldn’t be more blessed and fortunate to go to an organization like Los Angeles,” Randle said. “To be able to learn from those guys.  They’ve had so much history and so much success in the past, and to be able to go to an organization like that, who’s had amazing players in the past and learn from a guy like Kobe‑‑ I mean, I couldn’t be more happy.  This is truly a blessing for me.

“I’m going to learn a lot from Kobe.  He may get tired of me because I’m going to be bugging him learning, trying to learn stuff from him.  So I’m going to learn a lot from him. But I think it’s more than him.  He was blessed to be in an organization like the Lakers as well.  Talent alone, his work ethic alone got him there, but I think the Lakers was the right fit, the right organization for me to go to.”

When told that Bryant demands a lot from his teammates, Randle said he does the same.

“I demand a lot from my teammates as well, holding each other accountable, putting extra work in was what I had to do at Kentucky – it was what I demanded of my teammates, and that’s what we did, and that’s why we were successful,” Randle said. “I think I bring a lot to the Lakers as far as a skill set being able to shoot the ball, handle the ball, of course my post‑game.  But I think I bring a lot to L.A. for sure.”