Julius Randle's Son Surprises Him With Most Improved Player Award

Julius Randle's son, Kyden, surprised him with the Most Improved Player Award as the Knicks prepared to continue their first postseason dance since 2013.

Julius Randle found out that he won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award on Tuesday, but it wasn't through a phone call, email or random leaked tweet. 

Instead, his four-year-old son, Kyden, ran onto the court, sporting his father's jersey, with the piece of hardware in his hand. Randle's teammates clapped behind him as he gave Kyden a hug. 

Julius Randle's son, Kyden, surprised him with his #KiaMIP award 👏 @nyknicks pic.twitter.com/uk1rx9EOnR

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 25, 2021

The first time All-Star forward has dominated this season as the Knicks found themselves in the postseason for the first time since 2013. The 26-year-old has averaged career-highs with 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists, while shooting 41.1% from 3-point range.

It's a sizable improvement from last season when Randle averaged 19.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists. The biggest jump came from his 3-point percentage, which was 27.7% last season. 

Randle, who is New York's first most-improved winner since the award’s inception in 1985, beat out Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. and Pistons forward Jerami Grant for the award. 

The Knicks face Atlanta for Game 2 on Wednesday night, hoping to overcome their first game loss to keep their playoff dance alive.