Old Foe Kevin Garnett Advises Knicks' Julius Randle on 'Next Step'

Kevin Garnett had his issues with both the New York Knicks and Julius Randle, but the NBA legend offered the current All-Star some advice as he prepares for his postseason return.

Kevin Garnett had his share of battles with Julius Randle and his current employers. Retirement, however, has allowed him to serve as an unofficial advisor. 

The All-Star Randle is one of the faces of the New York Knicks' ongoing postseason run, due to return from an ankle injury at some point of the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers that begins on Saturday (6 p.m. ET, ESPN). Appearing on his Showtime series/podcast Ticket & The Truth, Garnett addressed the future of Randle by recalling his own experiences both on the floor and in the locker room.

"I think the next step for him ... is being a solid leader for those guys,” Garnett said. "A lot of times as the best player, you take it in all energy, and you know when you sit down on that bench, and you’re giving out, and everybody’s going sometimes you've got to sit, you gotta take a breath. You got to be the one to be the bigger person in conversations. You got to be more poised.”

Like Randle, Garnett developed a bit of a reputation as a bit of a talented hothead on the floor. A young Randle, then with the Los Angeles Lakers, dealt with Garnett directly during the latter's final season with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2015.  

After his temper was one of the unwelcome subplots of the disappointing follow-up to his first All-Star appearance from the 2020-21 campaign, Randle vowed to keep things in check this time around. He was still charged with 11 technical fouls over 77 appearances this time around (down only one from last season) but he began to become a trusted name both on and off the box score. This season saw him not only return to the All-Star Game thanks in part to averages of 25.1 points and 10 rebounds but also become a trusted name amongst New York leadership.

Randle's former adversary Garnett praised him for his maturation in the new year, being particularly impressed with a reworked outside game that saw him sink 218 triples. Missing the final five games due to the aforementioned ankle ailment perhaps cost him a chance to move past the single-season team record of 241 set by teammate Evan Fournier last season.

Garnett wants Randle to continue the growth beyond the box score, relating that he was unable to take the next steps in his own game until he likewise found mental clarity. The turning point, Garnett told co-host and fellow NBA alum Matt Barnes (filling in for normal partner and Garnett's fellow Boston champion Paul Pierce) was when fellow interior threat Rasho Nesterović forced his way out of Minnesota to move on to San Antonio. 

“I used to actually pride myself on being a decent teammate," Garnett said. "When I was younger, I struggled with that. When Rasho did that, I made it a business to really jump into my yoga, and there would never be another teammate that says I did that."

Randle likewise turned to meditation this season and the balance led to some of the most memorable moments in recent metropolitan memory. That includes a game-winning triple in the Knicks' Mar. 2 win over Miami (one that helped solidify their avoidance of the Eastern Conference's Play-In Tournament purgatory) and later tallied a career-best 57 points on Mar. 20, albeit in a narrow loss to Minnesota. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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