Cal Basketball: Jerome Randle Won't Let Knee Injury Derail International Success

Point guard dreamed of the NBA but has forged a hoops reality overseas

Photo by Daniel Kalisz, Getty Images

Jerome Randle grew up in Chicago dreaming of a career in the NBA.

Faith in that ambition grew stronger when he arrived at Cal, eventually leading the Bears to their first conference championship in 50 years while being named Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2010.

“Once I got to college and I saw success coming, I knew in my mind the NBA was going to be it,” said Randle, a 5-foot-9 point guard. “Even being smaller, that was the confidence I had.”

Now, a decade later, Randle’s experience in the NBA is limited to a series of summer-league dalliances with the Grizzlies, Magic, Clippers and Bucks.

But if the NBA never found a place for Randle, the rest of the world has embraced his basketball talents.

Randle has played professionally for 16 teams in 10 foreign countries on four continents. His passport has more stamps than most United Nations ambassadors ever collect: Australia, Spain, Germany, France, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Israel, Belgium and Turkey, in addition to stints in the G League with the Maine Red Claws and the Texas Legends.

Asked if his basketball career has unfolded the way he expected, Randle, 32, just laughs. “Not even close, obviously,” he said. “I’m not bitter. Being older, you understand that things are not always going to happen the way you want them to happen.

“I never thought I would play in Europe or all these other places. I’m very blessed to be able to travel the world and play basketball.”

And he hasn’t merely put in anonymous appearances around the globe. A few highlights:

— Turkish league All-Star in 2011

— First-team All-NBL in Australia in 2015-16, leading the league in scoring (23.0 points) for the Adelaide 36ers, including a professional career-high 41 points against Sydney.

— Finals MVP in 2015-16 for Zalgiris Kaunus of the LKL, Lithuania’s top professional league

— MVP of the NBL in 2016-17 when he averaged 21.0 points and 5.3 assists for Adelaide

— NBL leader in scoring (19.8) and assists (5.2) in 2017-18 for the Sydney Kings

Randle had just finished the 2019-20 campaign with Adelaide (19.8 points, 4.5 assists) in February when he signed with the Spanish Liga ACB team Montakit Fuenlabrada, located a half-hour south of Madrid.

Two days later he made his debut . . . and tore the ACL in his right knee.

*** Randle talks in the video below about his knee injury:

Randle had surgery and doctors told him he was lucky — there was no damage beyond the ACL, which should allow him to return to the court sometime late next fall. “I don’t have a doubt in my mind that I will come back better than I was before,” he said.

For years now, Randle has played two seasons each year — one in Australia, then another in Europe. “For me, it’s hard to take time off,” said Randle, who thinks this break probably is good for him.

Montakit Fuenlabrada was so confident in Randle’s eventual return to health that it offered him a contract extension through 2020-21 just days after the injury. He is appreciative but has yet to sign it, explaining, “I like to keep my options open.”

This is the most significant injury Randle has suffered, but he acknowledged feeling lucky about the timing. Because of the global coronavirus pandemic, he noted, “Nobody is playing basketball.”

Jerome and Zhordan, his wife of nearly six years, are at home these days in Chicago with their daughter Jeri, who will turn 2 later this month. He is able to get rehab and treatment but also keeps himself busy through online activities.

*** Jerome Randle calls daughter Jeri "a blessing . . . a breath of fresh air."

Working with a friend, trainer DaShaun Thomas, Randle put on a worldwide virtual “Hell Week” series that targeted audiences in Australia, Indonesia, the Virgin Island and United States. Randle’s participation emphasizes ball handling skills. He also has scheduled Zoom training sessions for a German wheelchair basketball team.

But he misses his pre-injury basketball life, on and off the court.

Randle is a big deal in Australia, where in 2018 and ‘19 was voted the NBL Fans MVP.

“It’s something I’m really proud of,” Randle said. “Just imagine, you’re from the United States going to someone else’s country and people look at you as a fan favorite. That’s amazing.”

*** Zhordan Randle talks about her husband's popularity in Australia: 

Zhordan, who has accompanied her husband everywhere he has played since 2014, says she is not surprised he won those league-wide awards. “Jerome is a very likable player,” she said. “A lot of kids over there mimic Jerome. You see a lot of kids in the stands with his shirts on . . . they’ve gone to his clinics. I’m proud of him. He grows every year.”

His career Down Under began in the fall of 2015 at Adelaide, a South Australia coastal city of 1.3 million. That first season, Randle invited kids through social media to join him at nearby Glenelg Beach for an autograph signing session. More than 80 kids showed up

Jerome Randle, back row, center, with kids at his 2016 Christmas clinic at Adelaide, Australia / Photo courtesy of Jerome Randle

The next time, the team set up a basketball hoop on the beach, and the crowd grew. He has since held four basketball clinics, including one last Christmas that attracted 115 kids.

Randle has developed a brand, made an impact with youngsters, and he and Zhordan both identify Australia as their favorite basketball destination.

It leaves Randle asking himself a basic question:

“Would I have been this big if I had played in the NBA?”

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @JeffFaraudo

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