Julius Randle, a 2013 first-team American Family Insurance ALL-USA Boys Basketball player as a high school senior at Prestonwood Academy (Plano, Texas), is having a breakout season in the NBA.
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While his minutes (23.3 per game) are down slightly in his third season in the league, he’s averaging a career-high 13.6 points and is shooting a career-best 55%. On Tuesday, he put up 14 points and 14 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Boston Celtics 108-107.
Julius Randle led Prestonwood Christian to a TAPPS state title his senior year and was named a first-team ALL-USA player in 2013. (Photo: Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports).
He’s done that despite playing through a fracture to his ring finger. He’s tied for seventh in the league in double-doubles and over the past eight games, he’s averaged 15.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
With the NBA’s trade deadline coming up on Feb. 8, his timing couldn’t be better.
He’s had a big year in other ways as well. In July, he married Kendra Shaw and last month, their son Kyden celebrated his first birthday.
In high school, Randle led Prestwood to a private school state title his senior year by averaging 32.5 points and 22.5 rebounds. He spent one year at Kentucky before the Lakers chose him with the seventh pick of the 2014 draft.