CHARLOTTE – Julius Randle “worshipped the ground (Kobe Bryant) walked on,” from his childhood idolization to their forging of a relationship during and after they were teammates with the Lakers.
The Knicks forward was visibly emotional playing Sunday against Brooklyn, hours after the basketball legend died alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash in Southern California.
Randle spoke publicly for the first time since the tragedy Tuesday morning, ahead of the Knicks’ game against the Hornets at Spectrum Arena.
“For me, man, he was everything, bro,” Randle said after the Knicks’ morning shootaround.